No let-up in Bihar flood situation

PATNA, SEPT. 8. There was no let-up in the flood situation in Bihar with major rivers in spate while two more deaths were reported from Gopalganj district, taking the toll to 45.

The situation was likely to worsen in north Bihar following torrential rain in the catchment areas of the rivers emanating from Nepal since yesterday, met office sources said.

The Chief Minister, Ms. Rabri Devi, accompanied by her husband and the RJD president, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav, undertook an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts on Friday and directed the district authorities to take steps to intensify relief operations.

The situation remained grim in Gopalgunj, East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Begusarai districts following rise in the water level of rivers such as Burhi Gandak, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Adhwara.

The State Relief Commissioner, Mr. Girish Shanker, said over three million people continued to reel under the impact of floods in 1778 villages of north Bihar. The deluge had so far destroyed standing crops worth over Rs. 130.18 crores, he said, adding the State Government had set up 214 relief camps, 185 health centres, 113 veterinary camps in flood-hit areas. Eight mechanised boats have been engaged to distribute relief materials and evacuate marooned people to safer places.

Toll up in U.P.

The toll in flash floods, which have affected about 15 lakh people in more than 2500 villages mostly in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, has risen to 214.

According to reports received at Lucknow, one death each has been reported in Deoria and Ambedkarnagar. Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Sant Kabirnagar and Azamgarh were some of the worst affected districts of the eastern U.P.

Around 352 of the 627 affected villages in Gorakhpur districts were completely marooned, the reports said, adding that more than three lakh people in Gorakhpur were trapped.

Similarly, three lakh people of 522 villages in Siddharthnagar, about the same number of residents of 218 villages in Deoria and about two lakh in Azamgarh were affected due to floods.

Mr. Mahesh Kumar Gupta, the District Magistrate of Gorakhpur, told UNI that there was a small breach in the embankment near the city, which had been repaired. Rapti, which was flowing over two mts above the red mark in Gorakhpur, was just ten cm below the record level of 1988, posing a threat to the embankments, he added.

Opposition flays Govt.

The Congress, Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (united) have accused the Uttar Pradesh Government of not undertaking precautionary measures.

Addressing a press conference here today, the state Congress president, Sri Prakash Jaiswal, criticised the State Government for its failure to control floods and not providing relief to the affected masses.

Demanding that the entire eastern U.P. be declared flood-affected area and all government taxes in the affected villages be waived off, he urged the Centre to release Rs. 2,000 crores for flood relief works.

The Samajwadi Party state president, Mr. Ram Sharan Das, told newspersons here that the Government's machinery had totally collapsed in distributing relief among the flood-affected people.

- PTI, UNI

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