Water level in Bihar rivers recede but flood woes continue

The Bagmati river flows in full spate that broke its embankment after heavy rains near Tariyani Chhapra, in the Sitamadhi district, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Water level in overflowing rivers in Bihar receded on Monday (September 30, 2024) but the flood situation, in as many as 16 districts of Bihar, remained grim. The State government called in six more teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from neighbouring Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Ranchi in Jharkhand. As many as 12 teams of NDRF and 22 teams of SDRF have already been deployed in different flood-affected districts of the State for relief and rescue operations.

Flood affected people have been forced to take shelter either on embankment or national highways or on treetops. The State Disaster Management Department has claimed to be working round-the-clock for protection of embankments and levee and has also released contact numbers of officials for immediate help. “Out of six embankments which had been breached on Sunday, some have already been repaired and work is going on for others”, said Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Embankments over rivers Kosi, Gandak and Bagmati were breached at some places in Darbhnaga, Sheohar, West Champaran and Sitamarhi districts on Sunday (September 29).

“The State Water Resources and Disaster Management Departments have been working round-the-clock on war footing in view of any flood-like situation in districts of north Bihar. Water level has reduced in overflowing rivers in the area. There is nothing to panic now”, said a senior Water Resources Department official, seeking anonymity.

“Water flowing above embankments was reported from Valmikinagar and Kiratpur in Darbhanga on Sunday but on Monday the water level in rivers receded. No casualty has so far been reported due to flood in those areas. Our officials are on toes”, added Mr. Choudhary.

Meanwhile, the flood affected poor people in as many as 16 districts of Bihar have taken shelter either on embankments, highways or, on treetops. In flood-prone Naugacchia of Bhagalpur district, poor people could be seen taking shelter on treetops to escape wrath of the flood. However, in districts like Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Saharsha, Madhubani, Gopalganj and Supaul, thousands of flood-affected people have taken shelter along the highways with tarpaulin overhead and their cattle tied with bamboo pole nearby.

The flood-affected districts in Bihar include West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Jehanabad, Madhubani, Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Bhojpur. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an yellow alert in Bihar predicting heavy rainfall in several districts in coming days.