NEW DELHI: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said the flood situation in Bihar is serious as he assured all help to the state.
Reddy said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is working closely with the Bihar government, and other paramilitary forces are also ready to move if needed.
"This is a natural disaster, my colleague Nityananda Rai is looking after the issue from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Along with Bihar, the situation is also serious in Karnataka," Reddy said.
"After the report from the state government, the central team will go. The state will be helped," the minister said.
Twenty teams of the NDRF, comprising about 900 rescue persons, have been deployed in the state.
Six of the teams were deployed in Patna, which has witnessed very heavy rains and waterlogging over the past three days, an official of the Home Ministry said.
Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force were also deployed in rescue and relief operations.
The Bihar government has informed the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) that due to extremely heavy rainfall in the state, along with high levels of water in the rivers, there has been flooding in 16 districts.
At least 28 people have so far lost their lives in Bihar floods.