Flood situation in Bihar improves

With water level of the Kosi river receding after wreaking havoc in five north-east districts of Bihar, the overall flood situation in the state improved and rescue and evacuation operations stopped.

With water level of the Kosi river receding after wreaking havoc in five north-east districts of Bihar, the overall flood situation in the state improved on Sunday and rescue and evacuation operations stopped.

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"Rescue and evacuation operations launched in five North Eastern districts of Bihar have been suspended with flood waters coming down indicating improvement in the overall situation," Additional Secretary Pratayaya Amrit told PTI.

He said as the flood waters has started to recede, many people sheltered at government relief centres and adjoining districts were leaving and returning to their villages despite persuasion by the local authorities to stay for some more time.

Altogether 9,14,278 people were evacuated and shifted to safer places during the operations launched by Army, Navy, Indian Air Force and National Disaster Response Force, besides the state police.

The Kosi had inundated 977 villages and damaged over 3.10 lakh houses.

Amrit, however, said the number of choppers airdropping food packets has been reduced to seven from ten yesterday as most villagers in affected areas had been evacuated.

Over 5.41 lakh families in 977 villages of five districts - Madhepura, Araria, Supaul, Saharsa and Purnia - were affected by the floods with 2,76,656 sheltered in 313 relief camps.

The government has installed 887 hand pumps in these districts to provide potable water to flood-affected.