With the water level in the Ganga rising, the flood situation in Bihar was grim on Sunday.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed apprehension that the situation could worsen by Monday in view of the release of water from Bansagar dam.
Mr. Kumar, who held a high-level meeting to assess the situation, later went on an aerial survey of Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Begusarai and Khagaria. He told reporters that there was at the moment no possibility of flood waters entering Patna city.
Meanwhile the rising level of the Ganga has more or less created a flood-like situation in all the districts situated along the banks of the river.
The Ganga and six other rivers were flowing above the danger mark in Patna, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Katihar, Siwan, Bhojpur, Buxar and Hajipur districts, a disaster management department statement said.
The Ganga was flowing above the danger mark at six places in various parts of four districts.
Altogether 1,326 boats have been pressed into service by the government to evacuate the affected people. Deploying five teams of NDRF and SDRF personnel in the flood-affected areas the government has also put the Army on alert.
“We want to assure the people that we are alert and taking all precautions to help them at this time of crisis”, said Mr. Kumar.
Ganga crosses danger mark
The Ganga river on Sunday crossed the danger mark in West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, where Yamuna river is also in spate, while heavy rainfall has created a flood-like situation in some parts of Rajasthan where six persons have died so far.
However, the weather was hot and dry in the national capital and other northern states of Punjab and Haryana.
In UP, Ganga is flowing above the danger mark at Fafamau (Allahabad), Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Ballia, while Yamuna is flowing above the red mark at Chillaghat (Banda) and Naini (Allahabad) and Mohna (Jalaun).
Similarly, Sharda river is flowing above the danger mark at Palliakalan (Kheri). Vast areas in several villages of Malda district in West Bengal have submerged, affecting a population of nearly 20,000, even as heavy to very heavy rain in districts of southern parts and in the Sub-Himalayan region are predicted for Monday, triggered by a low pressure.
Additional District Magistrate, Malda, Kanchan Chowdhury said the rise in the water level of the river was due to the release of 10 lakh cusecs of water from the Sone dam in Uttar Pradesh.
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and created flood like situation in Rajasthan with Baran, Pratapgarh, Chittogarh and Jhalawar districts as the worst affected. The water level in Chambal river in Dholpur crossed the danger mark today.
Six persons of a family died when a portion of their house collapsed in Baran district of Rajasthan on Saturday.
A total of 33 people were airlifted by the Air Force on Sunday from two locations in Pratapgarh district, while 24 others were airlifted from Baran on Saturday.
Several others are also stranded and rescue operations are on.
“Three persons are trapped at an island in Parvati river. They had gone for fishing in the river but suddenly the water level in the river rose. Efforts are on to rescue them,” Baran Collector S.P. Singh said. — PTI
Army on alert
Amarnath Tewary reports from Patna:
Meanwhile, the State disaster management officials said the Ganga was flowing above the danger mark at six places in districts like Patna, Bhagalpur, Munger and Buxar. Altogether 1,326 boats have been pressed into service to evacuate the affected people. Deploying five teams of the NDRF and SDRF personnel in the flood-affected areas the government has also put the Army on alert.
“We want to assure the people that we are alert and taking all precautions to help them at this time of crisis,” said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
