Bihar flood situation remains grim; 81.59 lakh in 16 districts affected

Patna, August 17

The flood situation in Bihar remained critical as prominent rivers like the Ganga, Bagmati and the Burhi Gandak are in spate, while 81.59 lakh people across 16 districts are affected by the calamity, official reports said on Tuesday.

The Ganga started flowing above the danger level at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district on Tuesday, while it has been flowing above the red mark at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna since Monday, a bulletin issued by the Water Resources Department said.

The water level of the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat on Tuesday was recorded at 48.68 meters which is 8 centimetre above the danger level, while the river is flowing 18 cm above that mark at Hathidah and 9 cm above at Kahalgaon.

The bulletin said that rise between 6 cm and 12 cm was also registered in its water level in various other places such as Buxar, Munger, Bhagalpur and Digha ghat in Patna.

The Baghmati is flowing above its danger mark at Kataujha in Sitamarhi, Benibad in Muzaffarpur and Hayaghat in Darbhanga.

The river Burhi Gandak is also in spate in two places of Samastipur and one area of Khagaria district, the bulletin said.

The Disaster Management Department said that 81,59,313 people in 1,312 panchayats of 16 districts were reeling under the impact of the flood.

The number of marooned people has increased by 3,186 since Monday.

The department said that the number of deaths in flood-related incidents remained 25 in the state.

Darbhanga district topped the casualty list with 11 deaths, followed by six in Muzaffarpur, four in West Champaran and two each in Saran and Siwan.

Darbhanga is also the worst-hit district with 20.61 lakh people affected, while Muzaffarpur district now has 19.18 lakh flood victims. The figure is 10.19 lakh in East Champaran, the department said.

The 16 districts affected by the calamity Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, West Champaran, East Champaran, Khagaria, Saran, Samastipur, Siwan, Madhubani, Madhepura and Saharsa. PTI