Bihar floods: Over 83.62 lakh people continue to suffer

Over 83.62 lakh people continue to suffer due to the floods in Bihar with the Ganga flowing over the danger-mark at many places, officials said on Thursday.

The water level of the river breached the danger-mark at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna, and Kahalgaon in the Bhagalpur district, as per an official bulletin issued by the Water Resources Department.

The Bagmati river was flowing above the danger level at five places in the state, it added.

Total 83,62,451 people continued to suffer in 1,333 panchayat areas of 130 blocks in 16 districts, the bulletin said.

There was no change in the figures for the fifth consecutive day.

Flood-related toll remained at 27. The last fatality was reported on August 20.

Most of the deaths have been reported from Darbhanga where 11 people died, followed by Muzaffarpur (six), West Champaran (four), Saran, Siwan and Khagaria (two each), the bulletin said.

The 16 districts that have been hit by the flood are Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, West Champaran, East Champaran, Khagaria, Saran, Samastipur, Siwan, Madhubani, Madhepura and Saharsa.

The flood situation is improving every day even though some rivers are in spate and flowing above the danger level, an official of the Water Resources Department said.

The number of people being served cooked food at community kitchens has gone below the one-lakh figure, he said.

Only six relief centres are functional in the state at present and 5,186 people are staying there, the bulletin said.

The number of people being served cooked food has reduced to 97,633 at 119 community kitchens, it said.

On Wednesday, 1.26 lakh people were having food at 156 community kitchens.

The number of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams deployed to tackle the situation has also reduced to 21 from 33, it said.