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Flood situation in Bihar worsens

The overall flood situation in Bihar has worsened further with the Ganga inundating fresh areas in Patna district as the toll rose to 155. Two more deaths were reported from Madhepura district yesterday. Relief control cell sources said over 4.2 million people have been affected in the current wave of floods in 14 districts of north Bihar.

Sources said crops and public property worth over Rs 270.77 million had been destroyed. Flood water had damaged 7163 houses worth over Rs 50.67 million and submerged 4,80,000 hectares of land. A huge fleet of boats had been pressed into service to provide succour to the flood-affected people. Three hundred and eighty-six relief and 256 veterinary centres were functioning round-the-clock.

The sources said Rs 5.8 million had been doled out to the marooned people.

Meanwhile, major rivers in the state were continuing to exert pressure on their embankments. Central Water Commission sources said the Punpun was overflowing the danger mark at Shripalpur by 191 centimetres. The river was likely to rise further.

The Ganga crossed the danger mark at Gandhighat in Patna and at Farakka by 12 centimetres and 24 centimetres respectively. The Bagmati river crossed the danger mark at Benibad and Hayaghat by 41 centimetres and 21 centimetres. The Kosi was overflowing the danger mark at Baltara by 110 centimetres.

The Adhwara was, however, flowing below the danger mark at Ekmighat. Weather office sources said light to moderate rain was expected in the catchment areas of all major rivers during the next twenty-four hours.

Meanwhile, the Bihar unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the constitution of a flood commission to solve the recurring flood problem in the state. State party president Nand Kishore Yadav and opposition leader in the assembly Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters in Patna that the commission should be an independent body which would review the situation in the flood-prone areas.

Expressing concern over inadequate relief measures the BJP leaders urged Governor S M Lal to head an all-party committee to monitor the relief works now underway in north Bihar. Yadav said vigilance committees should also be set up in the districts and at block levels to keep an eye on the relief materials so that the benefits reached the affected people. He also demanded payment of relief to the people in one instalment rather than in two or more instalments.

UNI

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