Bihar flood hits hard with a death troll 19 ; More than 65 lakhs affected over 1,000 villages

Different states are facing consequences of flood and heavy showers that have troubled different states which primarily includes UP, Rajasthan, Bihar states which have faced hard consequences and severe damages. Among these states, Flood's situation remains a constant hit for Bihar by hitting its people with a huge economic loss. Waves mostly originating from the shores of Nepal. More than 55 lakh residents have got damaged due to the flood.

The state has hit had with a flood during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bihar is India’s most flood-prone state, with 76% population in the North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation every year. The state makes up 16.5% of India's flood-affected area and 22.1% of India’s flood-affected population. About 73.06% of Bihar’s geographical area, I.e 68,800 sq. km out of 94,160sq. Km is flood affected. On an annual basis, it affects more than thousands of humans live apart from livestock and assets worth millions. 

In total, they have claimed 9,500 lives since the government started publishing reports since 1979. North Bihar districts are vulnerable to at least five major floods causing rivers during monsoons which are - Mahanadi River, Koshi river, Bagmati river, Burhi Gandak river - which originates from Nepal. Some south Bihar districts have also become vulnerable to floods from son, pun, and Phalguna rivers. 

Chapra district of Bihar is having water up to levels of 3 feet, huts of many poor farmers have been destroyed and roads aside have got filled up due to heavy rains and flood. People are facing hard consequences due to the flood which is affecting the food, electricity, water supply, transport, and communication seeks. 

Rescue teams are facing problems maintaining people from floods due to blockage of roads and over flooded rivers. Villagers are angry upon the municipal areas because of the lack of development of drains people are facing huge problems due to water-logging on streets during the pandemic. Chapra highway was filled with water so badly but people had to transport through it to reach safety areas. 

Darbhanga has been the worst hit, being surrounded by three of the rivers in spate Bagmati, Kamala Balan, and Adhwara in the northern areas of Bihar. The district has accounted for seven casualties and 16.89 lakh of its residents, spread across 196 panchayats, have been hit by the floods.

Other districts hit by the floods are Sitamarhi, Supaul, Sheohar, Kishanganj, Saran, Gopalganj, East Champaran, Khagaria, Samastipur, Siwan, and Madhubani.

To date, 4.18 lakh people have been evacuated by the personnel involved in relief and rescue operations, for which 23 teams of the NDRF and some of the SDRF have been pressed into service. According to the disaster management department, 19 relief camps have been set up in four districts Gopalganj, East Champaran, Khagaria, and Samastipur. Altogether, 17,554 people are at the present taking shelter.

More than nine lakh people are being provided with food by NGO’s who have set up kitchens for flood victims, as revealed by the disaster management department. 

People are transporting with the help of boats on the local streets, schools are laid down by water everywhere. The flood had hit had so bad that people have locked up their houses and shifted to safe areas, people who haven't left are also preparing to leave their houses till things don't settle down well.

Different states have started helping Bihar and other states who have been deliberately hit hard by flood and to provide them with basic amenities in the pandemic. We should together pray for the goodwill and early recovery of flood-prone areas.