Bihar Rains Updates: As Bihar continues to be inundated with heavy rains, nearly 40 people have lost their lives in the last few days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed the flood situation in Bihar with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He said that government agencies are working with local administration to assist the affected, adding that the central government stands ready to provide all possible help to the state. Capital Patna is among the worst affected districts due to rains. Localities like Rajendra Nagar, Kankar Bagh, Patrakar Nagar, Hanuman Nagar and Malahi Pakri have been submerged. According to the NDRF, more than 4,000 people have been rescued from flooded areas of Patna till Monday.
The rains have affected road, rail traffic, healthcare facilities, offices and schools across the state. In Patna, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan residences resembled marooned islands. River Ganga and tributaries are flowing above the danger mark at many locations. The Weather department has predicted that the situation will improve from Tuesday as there was very thin chance of rain.
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Many NGOs and social organisations are volunteering to reach out to the flood-affected citizens. The Patna Sahib Gurudwara is organising community kitchens in several parts of Patna.
The opposition Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, alleging that he has adopted an "indifferent behaviour" towards Karnataka on the issue of extending flood relief funds from the Centre. The outburst came after Modi's tweet about the Bihar floods.
The Bihar government has informed the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) that due to extremely heavy rainfall in the state, along with high levels of water in the rivers, there has been flooding in 16 districts.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said the flood situation in Bihar is serious as he assured all help to the state. Reddy said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is working closely with the Bihar government, and other paramilitary forces are also ready to move if needed.
Four heavy duty pumps, made available by the Ministry of Coal are reaching Patna and the pumps would be used to drain out about 3,000 gallons of water per minute from water logged areas, news agency PTI reported.
Twenty teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising about 900 rescue persons, have been deployed in the state. Six of the teams were deployed in capital Patna, which has witnessed very heavy rains and water logging over the past three days.
The Bihar State Disaster Management Authority said that 40 people have lost their lives and 9 others are injured due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the state.
Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter drops relief materials in flood affected area of Rajendra Nagar in Patna.
Boats are being used to rescue stranded residents in Rajendra Nagar area of Patna. NDRF Commandant Vijay Sinha said, "Since yesterday 6,000-7,000 people including the elderly and patients have been rescued from the area. We are now concentrating on distribution of relief materials."
The NDRF said that it has has deployed five teams, with about 45 personnel in each, to conduct rescue and relief works in the city.
Over 2.5 lakh people in West Bengal's Malda district have been affected by a flood-like situation owing to incessant rain. Low-lying areas in all the blocks of the district have been inundated and a large number of mud houses have collapsed due to heavy rainfall over the past two days.
More than 4,000 people, including women and children, were rescued from the flood-affected areas of Patna on Monday, the NDRF said. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, whose own residence was affected by the deluge, was seen doing the rounds of the city clad in a T-shirt and shorts, and issuing instructions to officials.
The disaster management department said six deaths have been reported from Gaya district where five persons were killed in a wall collapse while another person drowned in a river which has been in spate because of rains. In Jehanabad, a three-year-old girl died after a wall of an old house collapsed on her while she was playing.
In Patna, normal life was thrown out of gear, with several schools shut, roads inundated, and many shops, hospitals and houses submerged in knee deep waters.
The weather department has forecast a long delayed withdrawal of Monsoon and more rains for Patna, where several areas still remain submerged due to heavy rainfall over the past four days.
Several parts of Bihar were are reeling from floods following incessant showers over the past few days, with the death toll in rain-related incidents mounting to 28, according to the state disaster management data.
Union minister Ashwini Choubey on Monday said it was a "natural calamity" and blamed a particular constellation for the heavy downpour. "The downpour, which has been lashing Bihar for the past few days, is because of the Hathiya Nakshatra (constellation), during which sometimes there is a very heavy rainfall. The rains have now taken the form of a natural disaster," he said.
On Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the situation due to the Bihar floods had gone out of hand and appealed to the party workers to immediately join the relief-and-rescue efforts to help the affected people.
An Air Force helicopter drops relief material packets in the flooded area of Rajendra Nagar in Patna on Monday.
India recorded the highest rainfall this monsoon since 1994, the weather department said classifying it 'above normal' as the season officially ended on Monday. Monsoon still remains active in several parts of the country and withdrawal of the southwest monsoon is likely to commence from northwest India around October 10, the IMD said, adding that this is the longest recorded delay in withdrawal of the monsoon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed the flood situation in Bihar with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said the central government stands ready to provide all possible help. "Spoke to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar regarding the flood situation in parts of the state. Agencies are working with local administration to assist the affected," he tweeted. He said the Centre stands ready to provide all possible further assistance that may be required.
IMD Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra today said that rainfall activity over Bihar will start decreasing from Tuesday. The Department also said that India recorded the highest rainfall this monsoon since 1994. It further said that monsoon still remains active in several parts of the country and withdrawal of the southwest monsoon is likely to commence from northwest India around October 10.
At least 28 people have lost their lives in Bihar following a spell of torrential rains lasting over three days. Three fresh deaths have been reported from Nawada and Jehanabad districts. However, unconfirmed reports claimed that the number of casualties could be higher than 30.
PM Modi on Bihar floods: Spoke to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar regarding the flood situation in parts of the state. Agencies are working with the local administration to assist the affected. Centre stands ready to provide all possible further assistance that may be required.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas. Heavy rains in the last few days have disrupted normal life in capital city Patna and adjoining areas like Rajendra Nagar, Kankar Bagh, Patrakar Nagar, Hanuman Nagar and Malahi Pakri. The NDRF today said that it rescued more than 4,000 people from Patna.
Bihar floods: The disaster management department says that six people have lost their lives in Gaya district — five persons were killed in a wall collapse while another person drowned in a river which has been in spate because of rains. PTI reports that a three-year-old girl died in Jehanabad. The girl died after a wall of an old house collapsed on her while she was playing.
Bihar floods | The situation arising out of the Bihar floods has gone out of hand with the news of many deaths. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased and appeal to the Congress workers to immediately join the relief-and-rescue work to help the affected people: Rahul Gandhi
Bihar flood: State and National Disaster Response Forces rescue people and distribute relief materials in flood-affected Patna.
"The situation is unprecedented, it's almost like a cloud burst. Impact is mainly due to water logging. Out of 19 NDRF teams deployed, 5 are in Patna. We've evacuated about 4,000 citizens since morning," SN Pradhan, DG of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Several parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were on Monday reeling from floods following incessant showers over the past few days, with the death toll in rain-related incidents mounting to 134 in the country.
"People are facing difficulties due to water-logging here. We are distributing the relief material to people. Five teams of NDRF have been deployed in Rajendra Nagar and Kankarbagh areas of Patna," Kumar Balchand, Deputy Commandant, NDRF was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The local administration in Patna has ordered closure of all schools till October 1 as a preventive measure and warned of strict punishment to those who violated the direction and "put the lives of teachers and students at risk".
Even though there has been a let up in rainfall in Patna since Monday morning, the flood waters have thrown normal life out of gear. The IMD has also predicted more showers later on Monday.
Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that relief materials had started arriving in the city. "One helicopter has reached and another will come from Gorakhpur to provide relief materials," Prasad said on Monday
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and his family members were rescued by a teamof NDRF from his residence in Rajendra Nagar area. The Rajendra Nagar is a posh locality in Patna. The Deputy CM was locked inside his house for the last three days after rains water enter the compound.
Five persons were swept away by strong currents in a river in Nawada. However, two of them a married couple swam to safety. The remaining three were yet to be traced though the district administration said it was "not counting them as dead" in view of the possibility that they may be rescued by teams of NDRF and SDRF.
Three more deaths were reported from Bhabhua, the district headquarters of Kaimur, on account of the collapse of two mud houses in separate localities. In Khagaria, three persons were drowned. A 32-year-old man was swept away by strong current in the river Ganges which locals attributed to the torrential rainfall. Besides two girls, cousins and aged five and eight years, drowned as they slipped into a deep pit while frolicking around in water-logged streets.
Union minister and Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that all gates of Farakka Barage had been opened in a bid to improve the situation in the city. "I have had meetings with our MLAs and officials. I am informed that all gates of Farakka Barrage have been opened and bigger pumps from Coal India will be made available," Prasad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
As incessant rains continue to wreak havoc in the state capital, water has even entered the residence of state minister Prem Kumar. The IMD has predicted more showers in the coming days.
Nearly 850 prisoners from Uttar Pradesh's Ballia District Jail have been shifted to jails in the neighbouring districts following heavy water-logging inside the barracks after incessant rains since Wednesday.