PATNA: With the deaths of 11 people on Thursday, the toll in Bihar’s 12 flood-affected districts rose to 78.
Altogether 18 people have died in Sitamarhi district alone on the Indo-Nepal border. The state is grappling with flash floods caused by torrential rain in Nepal over the last few days.
Though the floodwater continued receding, the number of flood-affected people also went up from 46.83 lakh on Wednesday to over 55.40 lakh on Thursday while 97 blocks are affected by the floods.
“As of now, altogether 921 panchayats of under 97 blocks have been identified as flood-affected, wherein 130 relief camps are set up for round the clock services to around 1,13,721 people from different marooned villages,” said principal secretary of disaster management department, Pratay Amrit, who is monitoring the entire relief- cum -rescue operation.
He added that the number of community kitchens was also increased to 1,119 for providing food to the flood-hit people.
Meanwhile, commandant of Bihar-based NDRF Battalion 9 Vijay Sinha said that as many as 4,400 people were rescued and evacuated from different districts by the NDRF in the past few weeks.
"The entire rescue-cum-evacuation operation is monitored by an emergency operation centre of NDRF and a data based on operational activities of the wing is also being prepared,” Sinha said.
Toll now at 37
Nine more people died in Assam, taking the toll to 37. The deaths were reported from Biswanath, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Udalguri, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts.
As many as 53.52 lakh people are affected at 4,128 villages in 28 districts.
Though water has started receding, there is no end to the plight of flood victims as they face an acute shortage of drinking water. In 689 relief camps, 2,25,737 people are taking shelter. The Brahmaputra and some tributaries are still flowing above the danger level at some places.