No relief in Bihar flood situation

PATNA, AUG. 5. There was no relief in the overall flood situation in Bihar today with major rivers flowing above the danger level at various places and fresh areas submerged in the worst-hit Gopalgunj and east Champaran districts, official sources said.

Relief and rescue operations are on by the Army with the help of a helicopter and eight mechanised boats in Gopalgunj district for the second consecutive day as fresh areas were inundated by the swirling waters of the rivers, Gandak and Sikrahana, sources said.

The two rivers overtopped embankments and submerged fresh areas also in east Champaran, they added.

Nearly one million people are affected by the floods in more than 400 villages in the districts of Gopalgunj, east and west Champaran, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Madhubani, Begusarai, Samastipur and Saran.

However, there has been no further loss of lives. The State Government has allocated Rs. one crore for Gopalgunj to step up relief operations, they added.

According to the Central Water Commission, the major rivers Ganga, Bagmati, Kosi, Gandak, Kamala Balan, Pun Pun, are still in spate and are flowing above the danger mark at different places along their course.

The flood situation in Assam improved considerably today with the river levels receding in the absence of rainfall since Friday, official sources said.

In Dhemaji, the worst-hit during the past few years, the water level of all rivers are receding but rail and road communication on NH-52 remained disrupted, they said.

In Nalbari the water levels are on the wane though 53 villages have been affected by the current wave and the situation is yet to return to normal, the sources added. The situation in Darrang and Kamrup districts is also improving with the waters of the rivers receding.

The river Brahmaputra is, however, flowing above the danger level in Goalpara and Dhubri districts. But the situation is expected to improve as there has been a let up in the rainfall, sources said. The floods, which began in the last week of July after a long dry spell and a near drought situation, has so far affected 483 villages in 12 districts.

The affected districts are Dhemaji, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara, Nalbari, Nagaon and Morigaon, they added.

- PTI

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