Flood fury continues, Bihar death toll hits 153
NEW DELHI: The death toll in Bihar rose to 153 on Saturday with four more fatalities as floods continued to ravage the state while higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh experienced the season’s first snowfall.
In West Bengal, the flood situation in Malda worsened with two fresh deaths reported from Kaliachak III block, taking the toll in floods to four in the district.
Twelve more panchayat areas were inundated in Bihar, affecting a total population of 34.69 lakh in 12 districts. Two deaths each were reported from Bhojpur and Begusarai, the disaster management department said.
Meanwhile, in Allahabad in UP, the water level of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers receded further on Saturday, leaving behind dirt and slush in flood-affected low-lying localities in the city.
For the first time after water started rising from August 16, the level of Ganga came down below the danger mark of 84.73m at around 11am on Saturday.
More than 53,000 people have been rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from flood-ravaged areas in Bihar and UP.
The NDRF has deployed 75 rescue and relief teams, with about 40 rescuers in each, to help those hit by heavy rains in these states. It has also tasked two deputy inspector generalrank officers in the two states for monitoring the situation round-the-clock.