Floods: NDRF rescues over 53,000 from Bihar, UP
NEW DELHI: More than 53,000 people have been rescued by NDRF teams from the floodravaged areas in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The National Disaster Response Force has deployed 75 rescue and relief teams, with about 40 rescuers in each, to help the people hit by heavy rains in these states and has also tasked two Deputy Inspector General-rank officers in Bihar and UP for monitoring the situation round-theclock. “So far, NDRF teams have evacuated/rescued more than 53,000 persons and provided medical assistance to 12,200 needy persons in this monsoon season. Operations are still continuing,” the force said. The NDRF teams are deployed in Bihar’s Munger, Samastipur, Begusarai, Fathuha, Patna, Bhagalpur, Didarganj, Danapur, Bakhtiyarpur, Buxar, Vaishali and Chhapra and evacuated over 1,748 marooned people to safer places.
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 today 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.
Caused by a rise in water levels in Ganga, Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra, Kosi and other rivers, the floods have affected people in 2,037 villages under 565 panchayats of 74 blocks in the state, it said.
The Ganga, though showing a receding trend, is flowing above the danger mark at seven places - Digha Ghat, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah in Patna, Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, besides in Munger and Buxar districts.
A total 4.97 lakh people have been evacuated so far from the 12 flood-affected districts of Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar, the release said.