With 37 more deaths, the toll in Bihar flood rose to 341 on Tuesday even as 1.46 crore people are affected by the deluge in 18 districts of the state.
The flood toll stood at 304 till Monday in Bihar with 1.38 crore people battling the deluge in 18 districts. Around 7.61 lakh people have been shifted to safer areas. With water receding in some places many people have returned home.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would make an aerial survey of flood affected districts of Bihar on August 26, said Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. “PM coming on 26th Aug for aerial survey of flood affected dists of Bihar (sic),” Sushil Modi said in a tweet.
Special Secretary in state Disaster Management Department Anirudh Kumar said that 2.29 lakh people are putting up in 1,085 relief camps.
Kumar said Araria district alone accounted for 75 deaths, followed by Sitamarhi (36), West Champaran (36), Katihar (26), Kisanganj (23), Madhubani (23), East Champaran (19), Darbhanga (19), Madhepura (19), Supual (15), Gopalganj (14), Purnea (9) Muzaffarpur (7), Khagaria (6), Saran (6) and Saharsa (4), Sheohar (4).
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached Purnea by road from Patna after a helicopter in which he had to travel developed some snag and inspected some relief camps, an official accompanying him said from Purnea. The CM would stay in Purnea on Tuesday and would go to Araria, Katihar and Kisanganj on Wednesday, the official said.
A total of 1,608 community kitchens are under operation in flood affected areas in which 4.52 lakh victims took meal on Tuesday, the state Disaster Management department report said. With flood creating havoc in as many as 18 districts of Bihar, the legislators have started contributing to the Chief Minister’s relief fund.
Sushil Modi said he had made a request to the PM for a visit to Bihar during a meeting of chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in Delhi on Monday. He said during the meeting all BJP-ruled states were asked to contribute to flood relief work in Bihar.
He told reporters that all BJP Legislators would meet on Wednesday to decide to contribute their one month salary in flood relief. Former minister and JD(U) MLA Ranju Geeta donated her one month salary in the CM relief fund.
A road construction department statement said a total of 203 state highways and other roads under it were damaged in flood waters in different places out of which 95 per cent have been repaired and made motorable. The Met office in its forecast said that Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea are likely to witness generally cloudy sky with the possibility of rain or thundershower on Wednesday.
