PATNA: Even as there are signs that the floodwaters have been receding, the demand of people in the 16 affected districts for relief has been increasing. The floods have so far claimed lives of 23 people in the state.
When Union minister and Begusarai MP Giriraj Singh visited a few villages in Barauni and adjoining villages in Matihani and Bachhwara blocks of the district on Wednesday, he faced ire of people seeking relief and assistance from the administration.
Also, Singh could not visit a few other villages that he had desired as he could not get the required boats from the administration on time. The Bachhwara sub-divisional administration had sent the available two boats at the time to the flood-hit village to conduct rescue and relief operations.
In fact, the number of flood-affected people in the state increased by over five lakh in the last three days. The number of the affected blocks and villages has increased to 100 and 2,628, respectively.
The total number of flood-affected people stood at 37 lakh on Thursday compared to 32.29 lakh on Tuesday, state disaster management department (DMD) said.
Over 1.35 lakh people have been displaced as a result of the floods across 16 districts, and as many as 11.59 lakh people had day and night meals at 865 community kitchens set up in the districts concerned.
The DMD communique also said the authorities of the affected districts have been transferring the gratuitous relief (GR) money worth Rs 6,000 per family into the bank accounts of one member each of the affected families.
The DMD also said that in view of the increase in the number of villages hit by the floodwaters, the number NDRF and SDRF teams has also been increased to 17 and 12, respectively, to conduct rescue and relief operations.
Meanwhile, the pressure of floodwaters on villages has increased in the basin of the Mahananda river in Kishanganj and Katihar districts, as the river has been flowing above the danger level.
With the Ganga flowing 10cm below the highest flood level of 34.86 metres at Bhagalpur, it has flooded the blocks lying along the two banks up to Kahalgaon and Pirpainty the district. The flood has also impacted the district’s northern blocks.
On the other hand, the Ganga was flowing 2.25m below the danger level at Buxar and 13cm at Digha in Patna. From Gandhi Ghat (Patna) onwards along the downstream up to Kahalgaon, the water level of the river has been falling, even though the river is still flowing above the danger level.
