Alert was sounded after two persons died as the overall flood situation aggravated on Monday in Bihar's Gopalganj, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts with rivers maintaining rising trends.
“We have sounded alert across the state with aggravation of flood threat with heavy rains in the catchment areas of major rivers,” Bihar Water Resource Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary told reporters.
Two youths drowned while crossing the swollen Budhi Gandak river at a place under Bachhbaria police station in West Champaran district, Choudhary said, adding the state government would provide a compensation of Rs. one lakh to bereaved families of each of the deceased.
Swirling flood waters have inundated several villages under Bagha sub-division in the district, officials said.
The flood waters also entered a portion of Balmiknagar Tiger Reserve in the district, they said, adding the flash floods occurred because of heavy discharge of water in Balmikinagar barrage.
Around two lakh cusecs of water was discharged in the barrage this afternoon, they said.
Gopalganj District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar said over 50 villages spread over Manjha, Gopalganj, Baraui and Sidhaulia blocks were inundated by flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Burhi Gandak.
According to officials, the Gandak was posing a serious threat to the newly constructed eastern Saran embankment at Semaria in Gopalganj district.
In Muzaffarpur, more than 12 villages were affected by floods caused by Bagmati and Lakhandei rivers in Aurai and Katra blocks.
Bhima and Rato rivers, part of the Adhwara group of rivers, inundated about 37 villages spread over Surasand, Sonebersa and Parihar blocks in Sitamarhi district, they said.
Flash floods
Flash floods caused by incessant rains in the catchment area of the Gandak and heavy discharge of water at Valmikinagar barrage inundated several villages in Gopalganj district.
Central Water Commission report said all major rivers in the state were maintaining rising trends and most of these were flowing above the red mark at some places.
Rivers like Bagmati and Kosi were flowing above the danger mark at Benibad and Basua.
Other rivers like Gandak, Mahananda, and Adhwara Groups of river were also maintaining rising trend, the CWC bulletin said.
“The government is fully geared up to face any eventuality. We have taken full preparatory measures to protect the embankments,” Mr. Choudhary said.
Mr. Choudhary said the eastern Kosi embankment, which had breached in 2008, flooding five districts of north Bihar, was totally safe.
