CENTRE RUSHES RELIEF TEAMS TO KOSI REGION, IAF PLACED ON ALERT

The Centre on Sunday launched a massive relief effort for the Kosi region in north Bihar in the face of imminent floods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed officials to do whatever it takes to save people in the direct line of the waters that could be released from the pent up Bhote Kosi, 262 km from the Bihar border at Birpur.

Union telecommunications minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, speaking on instructions of the PM, said 12 teams of national disaster response force had already reached the areas likely to be affected to carry out relief and rescue operations. He added that three more teams were on their way and five more had been placed on standby.

This is in addition to a column of the Army, which has taken positions along the Kosi embankment in Supaul and Saharsa districts.

The Centre ordered four choppers stationed at Purnia and Saharsa, while the IAF has been placed on alert in Gorakhpur and Bagdogra for any emergency.

Additionally a 317 aircraft has been despatched on medical relief mission with 25 multi-speciality doctors with adequate equipment, Prasad said, adding, the NDRF had been equipped with SAT phones and another 15 SAT phones were being despatched.

The department of space is regularly monitoring data over Nepal in the area, where the river waters have been released as a prewarning measure.

The Centre also said that there was no dearth of food stocks.