Patna: As rivers recede, DMD reports 34 more deaths

PATNA: The death toll in Bihar floods mounted to 67 on Wednesday. Senior officials in disaster management department claimed that the 34 deaths reported on Wednesday might not have necessarily occurred in the last 24 hours. “At times, the district administration sends the death reports late only after confirmation,” a DMD official said.
Nonetheless, maximum 17 deaths have been reported from Sitamarhi, followed by 12 in Araria, 11 in Madhubani, nine in Sheohar, 7 in Purnia, 5 in Darbhanga, 4 in Kishanganj and 2 in Supaul.Total 33 deaths were reported till Tuesday.
The number of people affected by the floods also increased from 26,79,936 on Tuesday to 46,83,639 on Wednesday. Also, five rivers, including Bagmati, Kamla Balan, Lalbakeya, Khiroi and Mahananda were flowing above the danger level at 12 places. However, no fresh breach was reported on any embankment in the state. Total nine breaches were embankment breaches on different rivers were reported in the state till Tuesday.
Meanwhile, water level in the swollen Bagmati river was showing a receding trend at four flood gauges in Sitramarhi district and it was stagnant at the fifth gauge as well. The water level in Kamla Balan river, which has created havoc in hundreds of villages in Madhubani district, also showed a falling trend on the second consecutive day. Adhwara river also showed stagnant trend at all three flood gauges in Sitamarhi. However, Burhi Gandak, which originates in Nepal and caused havoc in Muzaffarpur and Samastipur, maintained a rising trend at all three flood gauges in the two districts and Khagaria. A three-storey house also collapsed due to floods in Sitamarhi. Though no casualties were reported.
DMD officials claimed the flood situation was improving in majority parts of north Bihar. “There has been no significant rain during the last couple of days either in Nepal or north Bihar. Still, we are keeping a strict vigil on the water level in the catchment areas and conducting relief and rescue operations in all flood-affected areas,” the official said.
Several senior officials of the state government, including DMD principal secretary Pratyaya Amrit and Manish Kumar Verma, secretary to the CM, undertook an aerial survey of East Champaran district on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, the opposition continued to attack the state government on the floods. RJD national vice-president and former CM Rabri Devi demanded that the floods be declared as a national disaster. “Prime Minister should declare floods in Bihar as a national disaster and send financial assistance to the affected people,” she told reporters outside the legislative council.