Flood Situation Worsens in Bihar; Madhepura Inundated

Patna: Aug. 26, 2008

With more rain falling in Nepal in the past 24 hours and major breach in the Kosi dams, flood situation in North Bihar further worsened on Tuesday as disaster struck the town of Madhepura inundating it with more than 2 feet of flood water forcing its residents to run for their lives.

Even as the army stepped up efforts to provide relief in the flood-hit regions, situation in Madhepura and Purnia remained grim and relief and rescue work anything but desirable with flood water fast spreading in other areas.

Alarmed by the rapid movement of water, the government on Tuesday issued red alert in many areas including Supaul, Araria, Saharsa, Madhepura, Purnia, Raniganj, Narpatganj, Forbesganj, Barari, and Kursela with instruction to abandon the region within next 48 hours, officials in Patna said.

More than 15 lakh people have been reported affected by this year's flood in the North Bihar with over 140 deaths confirmed though unofficial sources put this number as high as 400.

Janata Dal (U) national president Sharad Yadav who was in Patna on Tuesday, said efforts to prevent water from spilling into India from Nepal has begun on a war-footing scale and nation's top engineering firms have been pressed into commission to repair the breach in the Kusaha dam.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, held a meeting with Janata Dal (U) workers in which he asked them to roll up their sleeves and jump into the relief operation including distributing relief items in the flood-hit areas and help victims relocate to drier areas.

"Even the nature is doing its bit to test me," Kumar said adding the situation was extremely dire in many areas and this was no time to talk politics but to provide speedy, adequate help to those who are stuck on the top of the roofs for many days without any food or water.

JD-U state president Lallan Singh, Agriculture Minister Nagmani, former Union Minister Dashai Chowdhary, and other party members were present at the meeting.