Bihar floods: 97 dead, 6 rivers still in spate

PATNA/MUZAFFARPUR/SITAMARHI: The flood toll in state touched 97 on Saturday with the disaster management department (DMD) confirming five more deaths.
Twenty-seven people have so far died in Sitamarhi, 18 in Madhubani, 12 in Araria, 10 each in Sheohar and Darbhanga, nine in Purnia, five in Kishanganj, three in Supaul, two in East Champaran and one in Saharsa.
The number of people affected by the floods also increased from 66,76,288 on Friday to 69,27,350 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, authorities in Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi on Saturday ordered closure of all government and private schools in flood-affected areas of the districts till July 25.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi held a high level meeting with Sitamarhi incharge minister Suresh Kumar Sharma, MP Sunil Kumar Pintu, MLC Devesh Chandra Thakur, MLAs, district level office-bearers of political parties, senior officials and disaster management experts at Dumra collectorate in Sitamarhi to take stock of flood situation.
He said roads damaged at around 300 places in the district would be repaired in 10 days by the road construction and rural works departments. Modi said health minister Mangal Pandey has assured deputation of 20 government doctors from other districts in Sitamarhi.
Muzaffarpur DM Alok Ranjan Ghosh imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the flood-affected areas of the district. The DM also ordered to closure of all government and private schools in blocks either partially or completely affected by floods.
Flood situation continued to remain grim as six rivers – the Bagmati, the Burhi Gandak, the Kamala Balan, the Adhwara, the Khiroi and the Mahananda – were flowing above danger level at 14 different flood gauges in north Bihar districts on the fifth consecutive day on Saturday. No fresh breach was, however, reported on any embankment on Friday.
The Bagmati showed rising trend at three places in Sitamarhi, the Burhi Gandak at two places in Samastipur, the Kamla Balan at one place in Madhubani and the Adhwara at one place in Sitamarhi.
Meanwhile, water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha said opposition parties have no common sense and hence they are questioning efforts of the government to help out the flood-hit people in the state.