Bihar flood toll rises to 198

The 19 fresh deaths were reported from five districts of Bihar.

Patna: With 19 more deaths, the toll in Bihar floods on Saturday went upto 198, even as the water levels of swollen Ganga started receding at many places in the state, except in Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district where the river is flowing above danger mark.

The 19 fresh deaths were reported from five districts. Patna accounted for the maximum 10 deaths, followed by Saran six, and one each in Lakhisarai, Samastipur and Begusarai, a Disaster Management Department statement said.

The flood has been caused mainly by swollen Ganga apart from other rain-fed rivers like Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra, Kosi and has affected 41.90 lakh people in 2,179 villages of 12 districts.

A total of 6.96 lakh people have been evacuated so far from the 12 districts--Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar, the statement said.

According to Water Resources Department, Ganga is witnessing a receding trend at Digha ghat, Gandhi ghat and Hathidah in Patna district and other places of in districts of Buxar, Munger and Bhagalpur.

But it is still flowing above the danger mark at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district.

The government has deployed 2,714 boats for evacuation while national and state disaster response forces have already been deployed in the affected districts.

A total of 696 relief camps are being run in the flood-hit areas in which 4.20 lakh people have taken shelter. They are being provided medical services by 480 teams.

A total of 179 camps are being operated for cattle affected by flooding of households whereas 73 cattle have died so far in floods.