PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday took stock of the flood situation in north Bihar following the discharge of water from Nepal, which has affected several districts, including West Champaran, East Champaran and Gopalganj.
Choudhary, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, conducted an aerial survey of the flood situation in East Champaran, Gopalganj, Vaishali and Saran districts. He also held a meeting with officials to review the situation.
The chief minister inspected water levels, discharge from barrages, the status of embankments and night patrolling. He directed officials to remain alert and prepared to deal with any emergency.
BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh, Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Gopalganj District Magistrate Saurav Samir and SP Vinay Tiwari were present at the meeting. Officials also inspected the Dhumariaghat bridge in Gopalganj district.
Choudhary directed officials to start relief camps in flood-affected areas. Community kitchens have also been set up at some places to provide food to affected people. Rising water levels in the Gandak have caused panic among residents.
“Chief Minister directed officials to continuously monitor vulnerable and low-lying areas, ensure prompt assistance to affected people and maintain full preparedness for rescue operations,” a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) mentioned.
District officials have been directed to coordinate with SDRF and NDRF teams, the statement said. Choudhary also monitored the flood situation throughout Sunday night from the Water Resources Department (WRD) command centre in Patna.
Meanwhile, Nepal discharged a record 6.52 lakh cusecs of water from its Devghat Gauge station, raising water levels in several rivers, including the Gandak. Officials said the previous highest discharge was 5.26 lakh cusecs on August 27, 1999.
The Gandak recorded a peak discharge of 5,43,500 cusecs at the Gandak Barrage in Valmikinagar, West Champaran district, at 5.00 am on Monday.
According to a WRD statement, the discharge at the Valmikinagar barrage fell thereafter, indicating that the situation was likely to improve. However, the peak water level will take some time to pass through downstream areas.