Flood situation under control in Bihar

The flood situation in Bihar was under control as no new area has been inundated and rivers are showing receding trend, a senior official of the Disaster Management Department said.

Patna: The flood situation in Bihar was under control as no new area has been inundated and rivers are showing receding trend, a senior official of the Disaster Management Department (DMD) said on Thursday.

"The situation is under control as no new area has been inundated and rivers are showing a receding trend," DMD Principal Secretary Vyasji said.

Altogether 16 people have died in floods, which have ravaged 14 districts in the state, affecting over 16 lakh people and one lakh animals spread over 1,246 villages since Saturday, he said.

The death toll may, however, rise once information from the inundated areas start reaching the district headquarters, he said.

Vyasji pointed that the number of affected people has increased by two lakh since yesterday as extensive reports came from the districts.
Nalanda, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Sheikhpura, Supaul, West Champaran, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Patna, Sheohar, Araria, Gopalganj and Khagaria districts have been hit by floods this time.

Over 1.16 lakh people have been evacuated so far, of whom 49,000 were staying at 133 government-run relief camps.

Altogether 1,129 boats including 47 motorboats have been pressed into relief and rescue operations which is being assisted by 12 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and five teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

The floods have affected over two lakh hectare of agricultural land, including one lakh hectare of cropped land. The estimated crop damage is worth Rs 56.4 crore, according the DMD.

"We are right now focusing on food grain distribution among the affected people. Once the water recedes we will start providing agriculture input subsidy, as well as, grants for the repair of damaged houses," Vyasji said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Bihar tomorrow to take stock of the situation in the wake of floods. He will review the relief measures being undertaken by the various state government agencies.

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had held a video-conference with district magistrates of the flood affected districts yesterday to review relief and evacuation measures and also to assess damage caused due to floods, which would be submitted to the Central government for assistance.

Manjhi, who also spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday about the floods, had called for "utmost caution" and ordered full-fledged relief operations including food grain distribution and repair of damaged roads.

DMD figures tell that 144 quintals of rice and wheat, 1092 quintals of `chura` (flattened rice) and 42 quintals of `gur` (jaggery) have been distributed among the flood-hit people so far.

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