Over 100 Bihar villages flooded; rivers rising

Flood water has entered over 100 villages in Bihar, forcing people to abandon their homes, and rising water levels in most rivers are posing a threat to many other villages, said officials on Friday.

All the inundated villages are in the flood-prone districts of Bagha, Gopalganj, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Saharsa, Khagaria, Darbhanga and Madhepura.

State Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Vyasji said major rivers in north Bihar, especially the Kosi, Gandak, Kamla Balan and Bagmati, are in spate following heavy rain in their catchment areas in Nepal. They are posing a threat of floods. “The situation may worsen in the next 24-48 hours. Keeping this in view, we have sounded high alert in the districts of north Bihar,” he said.

A water resource department official said: “Water entered these villages after levels rose in all the major rivers following heavy rain in the state and the catchment areas in Nepal.”
An official said standing crops worth crores of rupees have been damaged and road communication snapped at several places.

However, Bihar Water Resources Development Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said all embankments are safe and there is no need to panic.

In view of the worsening flood situation, eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state disaster response force have been deployed in five flood-hit districts.  Vyasji said he has asked the Central government for five additional NDRF teams.

Reports suggest that authorities have asked hundreds of people to shift to safer areas.
The state government has asked engineers and district officials to keep a 24-hour vigil.