Improvement in Bihar flood situation

The overall flood situation in Bihar has improved with all the major rivers maintaining receding trends even as the death toll crossed the 100-mark.

The overall flood situation in Bihar on Tuesday improved with all the major rivers maintaining receding trends even as the death toll crossed the 100-mark.

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The Central Water Commission sources said the swollen Burhi Gandak, Ganga, Kosi, Bagmati and Ghaghra, though flowing above the danger mark, were continually receding in the absence of rains during the past 48 hours in their catchment areas.

The Burhi Gandak was still flowing 36 cm, 118 cm, 297 cm, 27 cm and 32 cm above the danger mark at Labigiha, Sikandarpur, Samastipur, Rosera and Khagaria, respectively, while Ganga was flowing above the danger mark at Kahalgaon (33 cm) and Sahebganj (99cm).

Similarly, the water level of Bagmati was 86 cm and 203 cm above the danger mark at Benibad and Hayaghat and the Kosi was 152 cm and 63 cm above the red mark at Baltara and Kursela, they said.

Other rivers in the state were flowing below the danger level making a marked improvement in the situation.

With reports of eleven more deaths -- Bhagalpur (1), Samastipur (4) and East Champaran (6), during the past 24 hours, the death toll in the recent spell of floods went up to 101, according to state disaster management sources.

Nine motorised boats of the army and four IAF helicopters continued to carry out the relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit 19 districts in the state, sources said.

The state authorities have also engaged 3,764 boats for reaching relief to the flood-hit victims, they said, adding 73 relief, 238 cattle and 212 medical camps continued to function round-the-clock to provide succour to the flood-affected people.

Sources said standing crops spread in 10,8500 lakh hectare, the value of which was estimated to be over Rs 130 crore, besides public and private property worth over Rs 175 crore had been damaged in the floods.