Patna, Sept 19: With major rivers like Ganga receding, the overall flood situation in Bihar today eased slightly. However, the death toll shot up to 170 with two more deaths reported from flood-hit Madhubani district, official sources said.

A Madhubani district report quoting official sources said that two minor girls drowned in the swollen Adhwara group of rivers in village Kamlabarhi yesterday. The drowned have been identified as Babita Kumari and Anita Kumari.

A relief and rehabilitation department press release quoting the chief secretary, K A H Subramanium, said that a population of over 61.16 lakh spread over 4,545 villages in 24 districts had been hit by floods.
He said that the army choppers air-dropped 17,165 food packets each weighing five kgs in nine badly-hit flood-affected districts of the state between September 12 and 18. Besides, thousands of food packets were despatched by trucks to the flood-affected districts.

The release said standing crops on an area of 4.53 lakh hectares worth over Rs 57.18 crore had been damaged in the current spell of floods.
Over 3,800 boats had been engaged for carrying out relief and rescue operation and 288 relief centres and 408 health centres were functional in flood-hit districts.

Meanwhile, army choppers continued to airdrop food packets and its personnel with mechanised boats were engaged in rescue and relief operations in nine worst flood-affected districts in the state.
Bureau Report