Bihar floods: 119 dead; 93 lakh people in 15 districts affected

Patna: The flood situation in Bihar worsened today as the death toll mounted to 119 due to the deluge, which has affected nearly 98 lakh people in 16 districts, forcing postponement of examination and cancellation of trains. The toll due to the floods triggered by rains in Nepal and northern parts of the state was 72 on Wednesday, and 73.44 lakh people in 14 districts were hit. Saharsa was the latest district to be affected, officials said. Though the Met office has forecast possibility of rain in southern Bihar for one more week, there would be less rainfall in Nepal and northern parts of Bihar. The health department has launched a toll-free number 104, officials said, adding hospitals have been directed to maintain a sufficient stock of anti-snake and anti-rabies injections. Araria district accounted for 20 deaths, followed by East Champaran (14), West Champaran (13), Madhepura (12), Sitamarhi (11), Kisanganj (8), Purnea (5), Madhubani (5), Darbhanga (4), Saharsa (3), Sheohar (2) and Supual (1), said Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accompanied by his Deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh conducted an aerial survey of the marooned areas in Gopalganj, East Champaran, Sheohar and Sitamarhi districts among other areas. Amrit said 3.59 lakh people have been rescued to safer places. Out of them, 2.13 lakh were put up in 504 relief camps in different places while 1,112 community kitchens are feeding 3.19 lakh flood victims. Food packets are being air-dropped in inundated areas while in places where flood waters have receded they are being supplied through panchayats. Amrit said 114 boats of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), 92 of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and 70 of the Army are deployed for relief and rescue related works. Principal Secretary (Health) R K Mahajan said 'boat ambulances' are also being operated by the administration. In the case of shortage of doctors in primary health centres, the administration would hire private doctors on payment, Mahajan added. Mahajan, also principal secretary of education, said examination in Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, was scheduled to start on Friday but it has been postponed. Principal Secretary, Road Construction, Amrit Lal Meena said 124 roads, including national highways, have been damaged in floods. Rural Works Department principal secretary Bipin Kumar said 222 hand pumps have been disinfected in Araria and 219 in Kisanganj so that citizens could get purified drinking water. Animal Husbandry principal secretary Vijaylakshmi said 50 ambulatory vans are working in flood-hit areas to attend to sick animals and 196 veterinary doctors have been deputed. Meanwhile, train services continued to be affected.