Friday, July 8, 2011

Floods affect over 3 lakh in Bihar; state-wide flood alert sounded

Floods affect over 3 lakh in Bihar; state-wide flood alert sounded

All major rivers in northern Bihar were flowing above the danger mark on Thursday, with flood-waters affecting more than three lakh people, officials said.

Flood-waters spread to areas in Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi, Araria, East and West Champaran and Saharsa districts, officials of the state disaster management department said.

"Flood situation remained unchanged since Wedneday," an official of the state water resources development department said.

The Bihar government has sounded a state-wide flood alert.

Bihar Water Resources Development Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said a National Disaster Response Team is camping in Saharsa with four boats.

Rail traffic on the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul section was suspended after floodwaters submerged railway tracks.

The Kosi is posing a threat to its eastern embankment. The Gandak was threatening a newly-built embankment in Gopalganj district, a disaster management department official said.

Authorities have asked thousands of people to shift following the rising water levels of the Kosi. The state government has asked engineers and district officials to keep a 24-hour vigil on the water levels.

Choudhary said the eastern Kosi embankment was totally safe.

In 2008, over three million people were rendered homeless in Bihar with the Kosi river changed course, causing the worst flood in the state in the last 50 years.

According to the water resources department, a lot of water has been discharged into the Kosi in the last one week.


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