Flood alert in Bihar following water discharge from barrages

Release of water from two barrages has made the situation more chaotic, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the government is working to deal with the issue of flood in Bihar

Districts in northern and central parts of Bihar were given flood alert on Sunday following heavy discharge of water from Kosi Barrage in Birpur following heavy rainfall.

6.61 cusecs of water was discharged from the barrage till 5 a.m. on Sunday, the highest since 1968, the State Water Resources Department said in a post on X.

The department said that all measures are being taken to protect the embankments and requested people to be cautious.

On Saturday, 5.38 lakh cusecs of water was released from Valmikinagar Barrage on Gandak river, which is the highest amount of water released from the barrage since 2003.

Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, Budhi Gandak, Kamla Balan, Mahananda, and Ganga rivers in the State saw a rise in water level following the discharges. . Continuous rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal have led the the rivers to touch or flow above the danger mark at many places in the border districts. Railway tracks were submerged under water in several districts bordering Nepal.

Low-lying areas of West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Araria, Supaul, Katihar, Purnia and many other districts were inundated following the discharge of water from the two barrages.

Breaches in the embankments at several places were reported due to water pressure. In Bagaha, Champaran ring dam was breached over Gandak river, in Sitamarhi embankment was breached in Belsand block in Bagmati river.

An official of the Disaster Management Department on Sunday told The Hindu that many districts situated on the banks of the Ganga, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Munger and Bhagalpur, are already facing flood-like conditions and about 16 lakh people living in low-lying areas have been affected due to the rising water level of rivers after torrential rains.

The official also said that a large number of people have been evacuated from the affected regions and taken to relief camps.

Meanwhile, State government on Sunday suspended Nishikant Kumar, executive engineer posted in Flood Control Division, Bagaha on the charges of negligence in work and lack of coordination.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains and warned of flash floods in some parts of the Bihar.

Heavy rains are expected in West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Jehanabad, Madhubani and Bhojpur districts in next 48 hours.

The Bihar Disaster Management Department has asked district administrations to remain alert and take precautionary measures in view of the forecast

Additional Chief Secretary of Disaster Management Department Pratyaya Amrit held a review meeting on the flood situation in the State on Sunday through video conferencing.

He instructed District Magistrates (DMs) of the flood-affected districts to ensure the availability of relief camps, community kitchens and medical camps as per requirement.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was in Delhi on Sunday, said that the government is working to deal with the issue of flood in Bihar.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that water from Nepal side is receding and concerned departments are on alert.

Published - September 29, 2024 11:03 am IST