The Bihar government on Friday issued an alert and ordered round-the-clock monitoring along vulnerable stretches of the Gandak and Kosi rivers, following a forecast of an increase in the discharge due to continued rainfall in neighbouring Nepal's catchment areas.
The Gandak Barrage is forecast to receive 3,81,638 cusecs at midnight on September 27, while discharge at the Kosi Barrage is expected to reach 3,53,407 cusecs at 6 am on Saturday.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) directed officials to conduct night patrolling along embankments, sluice gates and low-lying areas, and immediately report any signs of seepage, overtopping, erosion or breaches.
"Adequate manpower, lighting and communication facilities have been ordered at vulnerable locations, while field officials have been asked to remain on alert through the night. District magistrates have also been asked to closely monitor the situation," a statement issued by the WRD said.
Officials, however, said there was no need for panic and urged people to remain alert and watchful.
Floods have affected around 50.49 lakh people in 15 districts of Bihar, with the Kosi and Bagmati rivers flowing above the danger mark at key locations, according to the Disaster Management Department's latest report.
The affected population is spread across 576 gram panchayats in 88 blocks of Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnia, Madhepura and Araria, it said.
The Kosi is flowing above the danger mark at Baltara, while the Bagmati is above the warning level at Sonakhan and Benibad, it said.
At 5 pm, discharge at the Valmikinagar Gandak barrage was 1.29 lakh cusecs, at Birpur on the Kosi 2.66 lakh cusecs and at Indrapuri on the Sone 41,377 cusecs, “all showing a rising trend”, the report said.
Bihar received 201.2 mm rainfall in September so far, 10 per cent above normal, while cumulative rainfall from June 1 to September 25 stood at 722.7 mm, 24 per cent below normal, it said.
A total of 222 boats have been engaged for evacuation and movement in the flood-affected areas.
Community kitchens and relief camps have been discontinued as the situation has returned to normal in areas where they were operating, it said.
Twenty-seven SDRF and eight NDRF teams remain deployed in various districts, the report added.
(With inputs from PTI)
