Flood situation in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh turns grim; 10 more NDRF teams deployed

NEW DELHI/PATNA/LUCKNOW: The flood situation in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh turned grim on Tuesday with most of the rivers in the two states flowing above the danger level. 10 more NDRF teams have been deployed in the two states for relief and rescue operations.
In Bihar, at least 22 people have been killed while 23.71 lakh people have been affected due to floods. Many areas, specially the riverine belt of 12 districts are badly reeling under water in the state.

Bhojpur district, which accounted for the maximum number of deaths, reported 12 deaths followed by Vaishali (6), Bhagalpur (2) and one each in Buxar and Lakhisarai district.

Ganga was flowing above danger mark at seven places in various parts of four districts - Digha ghat, Gandhi ghat, Hathidah in Patna, Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, Munger district and Buxar district.

River Sone was flowing above danger level by 129 cm near Maner in Patna.

The 12 flood-affected districts of the state are Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar.

In Uttar Pradesh, the situation worsened on Tuesday due to release of water from Nepal and adjoining states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttrakhand which led to further rise in water levels of major rivers.

According to Central Water Commission (CWC), the Ganga is flowing above the danger marks at Fafamau and Chhatnag (both in Allahabad) besides in Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Ballia.

In Ballia, the Ganga's water level has risen to a dangerous level of 60.31 metres, which is about three metres above the red mark, it said.

Similarly, river Yamuna is flowing above the red marks at Kalpi, Chillaghat (Banda), Hamirpur and Naini (Allahabad) while Betwa river is flowing above the danger mark at Hamirpur, and Sharda river at Palliakalan (Kheri).

As per reports coming from the flood-affected areas of UP, the water level is increasing by 1 cm per hour in areas around Varanasi and about 15 cm rise in the water level has been seen in the day till now, a senior official said.

NDRF has set up a special control room at the forces' headquarter to monitor the situation 24X7.

With people not wanting to leave their homes, the NDRF has also deployed a number of 'boat ambulances' in the two states on which the personnel of the force provide pre-hospitalisation treatment and medicines to the affected.

"So far, NDRF teams have evacuated/rescued 33,210 people and provided medicine assistance to 9,197 needy people," the national contingency force said, adding rescue operations in four other states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Assam are in "full swing".

Apart from the 10 fresh teams, 17 rescue teams of the NDRF are operational in Bihar.

As per data, while 650 people were rescued from Patna, 1,580 from Didarganj, 450 from Sonepur, 65 from Vaisali, 780 people from Bakhtiyarpur and 300 people and 10 cattles were rescued from Digaghat Danapur to safer locations.

Similarly, 19 teams of NDRF are deployed in different parts of Uttar Pradesh.

In order to launch massive operations in the two worst-affected states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the NDRF has created on-ground control rooms in these two states and deputed two senior Deputy Inspector General-rank officers (DIG) to take control of the situation.
"Thus, NDRF has rescued a total of 14,178 people in last four days in Bihar," it said.