Bihar CM asks water resources department to remain alert as flood affected population surges over 24L

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday issued instructions to secretary (water resources department) Sanjeev Hans to keep the engineers on alert mode, where the embankments are under pressure from floodwaters. The CM’s instructions came on the day when the population affected by floods in 11 north Bihar districts increased from 14.95 lakhs to a whopping 24.43lakhs in last 24 hours.
CM Nitish also issued a slew of instructions to principal secretary (disaster management) Pratyaya Amrit to ensure quality flood relief works, including better relief camps and sufficient number of community kitchens.He also asked to ensure that all preventive norms with regard to Covid-19, including free face masks, are adhered to in the relief camps.
Increase in the population apart, WRD is also on alert in Champaran, Gopalganj and adjacent districts following downpour in the catchment area of Gandak in Nedpal. Water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha said the discharge from Valmikinagar barrage in West Champaran is likely to surge from 2.20 lakh cusec as on Monday evening up to 3.72 lakh cusec in the next 48 hours.
CM Nitish on the other hand, asked WRD officials to keep flood fighting material in sufficient quantity, so that emergency repair work could be carried out in any unforeseen circumstance.
Incidentally, swollen Gandak breached its retired line embankment at four more places in Baikunthpur block in Gopalganj district on Sunday, aggravating the flood scenario in and around the district.
Gandak, which flows into Bihar from Nepal, has breached its embankments at least 10 places in Gopalganj (9) and East Champaran (1) districts. Three breaches were reported at two places in Saran embankment of Gandak river in Baikunthpur block in Gopalganj district on Saturday. Earlier, breaches in embankment of Gandak were reported at three more places on last Thursday night- two in Gopalganj and one in East Champaran.
WRD engineers at Patna claimed that efforts were on to plug the breaches. "Repair work is underway from both ends of the damaged embankments at all spots. Thankfully, the current in the river is not much high, which is favourable for carrying out embankment restoration works," a senior WRD official said.
As per daily flood bulletin issued by WRF on Monday evening, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Khiroi and Adhwara group of rivers were flowing above danger level. Except Burhi Gandak and Bagmati at a few places, most other rivers flowing in north Bihar were showing either receding or static trend.
WRD minister Sanjay Jha conceded that Burhi Gandak and Bagmati remain turbulent in districts, including Khagaria, Begusarai and Darbhanga.
With regard to flood relief works, three helicopters of Indian Airforce are air- dropping food packets in the worst affected areas in Darbhanga, Gopalganj, East Champaran and Madhubani districts. Besides, 12.858 people are staying in 29 flood relief camps and 703 community kitchens are functional in different districts.