IAF choppers pressed to carry out relief, as flood situation in Bihar deteriorates

The floodwater from Gandak has engulfed dozens of more villages of Baikunthpur block of Gopalganj after it breached the western embankment near Dewapur on wee hours of Friday.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers on Saturday carried out relief operations in three worst affected districts—Darbhanga, Gopalganj and East Champaran — by dropping food packets among marooned people, as the deluge from Gandak and other rivers continued to engulf fresh areas after breaching the safety embankments.

An aerial view of flooded Bind Toli area along the banks of River Ganga following heavy rain, in Patna on Saturday. (ANI)

As of Friday, 10 people have lost their lives in current spell of floods – seven people lost their lives at West Champaran, two died in Sitamarhi and one in Darbhanga.

The overflowing Gandak has washed away the approach road to Dumariaghat bridge on the national highway 28, connecting East Champaran and Gopalganj, snapping the traffic on the road that connects New Delhi with Assam. NHAI officials are carrying out the restoration work on a war footing to resume the traffic on the NH, which is also East West Corridor. The state government said repair work of breached embankments would resume only after two-three days, during which the downpour is expected to become less intense.

The floodwater from Gandak has engulfed dozens of more villages of Baikunthpur block of Gopalganj after it breached the western embankment near Dewapur on wee hours of Friday. Flood situation remain grim in East Champaran as well, as dozens of village of Kesaria and Sangrampur block came under heavy sheet of water.

Kamla and Bagmati rivers, which are flowing above the danger mark at various places across its course, have over topped the safety embankments in Darbhanga and inundated low-lying areas and residential colonies near the embankments. Vehicular traffic on Darbhanga-Jainagar road has been suspended, as floodwaters have overtopped it at many places.

Almost a million residing in over 900 panchayats of 74 blocks of 10 districts have been hit due to the floods, partially or wholly. More than 93,000 people have been rescued across the districts by 22 teams of the national disaster response force (NDRF) and state disaster response force (SDRF) in the last one week, according to the disaster management department (DMD).

The train services on Sugauli-Narkatiaganj section have been suspended after the floodwater had touched the girder of a bridge in the route resulting in termination of Delhi-Bapudham Motihari Champaran Satyagrah Express special train, starting from Saturday from Delhi at Bettiah instead of Bapudham Motihari. The train will depart from Bettiah till the flood situation improves, said chief public relation officer of ECR Rajesh Kumar.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Modi said that each flood-affected people would be given Rs 6,000 each as relief from the government. “Compensation for loss of standing crops would be announced after the assessment. Farmers would be provided seeds for alternative crops to offset the losses,” Modi said.

Besides the three major districts like Gopalganj, East Champaran and Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kisanganj, Muzaffapur, West Champaran and Khagaria are also facing the devastation due to floods of various scales.

Flood situation in north Bihar areas is expected to aggravate further as the Patna Meteorological Centre has predicted heavy rains accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning across all 38 districts of Bihar on July 27 and 28. Weathermen attributed the shifting of monsoon trough towards the foothills of the Himalayas reason behind enhanced rain activities in coming days.

Meteorologist Ravindra Kumar said, “Bihar is likely to receive heavy rains after July 26. Widespread rain with greater intensity is likely to hit entire Bihar on July 27 and 28. A yellow category warning for heavy to very heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm and lightning has been issued for North Bihar and several parts of south-western districts.”