Nearly 50 lakh people in 15 districts of Bihar have been affected by floods as heavy rain over the past few days further swelled rivers already flowing above their danger marks, officials said on Monday.
PATNA — Nearly 50 lakh people in 15 districts of Bihar have been affected by floods as heavy rain over the past few days further swelled rivers already flowing above their danger marks, officials said on Monday.
The state has recorded 112.7 mm of rain so far in September, around six per cent above normal, the local weather office said.
An official said incessant rain in the catchment areas of rivers flowing from Nepal into Bihar, coupled with heavy rainfall, has caused several rivers and streams to flow above their danger marks.
According to the Disaster Management Department, 49.67 lakh people in 15 districts have been affected by floods.
The affected districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura and Araria.
The Ganga was flowing at 36.19 metres at 6 pm on Monday at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur, which was 1.69 metres above the danger level.
The Kosi river was flowing above the danger mark at Baltara and Kursela, the Budhi Gandak at Khagaria, the Ganga at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger, the Punpun at Sripalpur, the Bagmati at Benibad, and the Ghaghara at Darauli.
The administration was operating 1,248 community kitchens and 13 relief camps in flood-affected areas.
Accommodation, food, medical care and other essential arrangements have been made for around 11,508 people, it said.
The Disaster Management Department said the barrage over the Gandak river in Valmiki Nagar recorded a discharge of 1,09,000 cusecs of water at 4 pm on Monday, with the trend rising.
The Kosi Barrage at Birpur recorded 1,63, 315 cusecs of water discharge, against this year's peak of 2,55,425 cusecs on July 20.
Twenty-seven teams of the State Disaster Response Force and 10 of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in various districts to aid in relief and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav accused the Centre of discriminating against the state in flood relief.
In a post on X, Yadav alleged that Gujarat gets generous aid even after minor flooding, while Bihar has reported over 50 deaths, missing livestock, thousands of crores in damage and around 45 lakh people affected.
He said neither PM Narendra Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah had announced relief for the state.