Seven north Bihar rivers still in spate

PATNA/BAGAHA: Flood situation continued to remain grim in several north Bihar districts even though no new fresh death was reported by the disaster management department on Thursday.
The floods have so far killed 123 people in the state and affected 82,11,820 others in 13 north Bihar districts.
Districts sharing borders with Nepal have been put on alert following fresh rainfall in the Himalayan nation. The Meteorological Forecasting Division of Nepal had on Wednesday predicted moderate to heavy showers across the country over the next two days.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted fairly widespread rainfall in south Bihar districts like Gaya, Nawada, Munger and Aurangabad on Friday and Saturday. The daily weather bulletin issued by IMD on Thursday stated that monsoon trough line was passing through Anupgarh, Gwalior, Banda, Churk, Gaya, Kolkata and south-eastwards to northeast Bay of Bengal
Meanwhile, seven rivers – the Bagmati, the Burhi Gandak, the Kamla Balan, the Lalbakeya, the Adhwara, the Khiroi and the Mahananda – were following above danger level at 15 different flood gauges in north Bihar districts on the tenth consecutive day on Thursday.
However, some rivers were showing either stagnant of falling trend, except the Mahananda, in Kishanganj and Purnia districts.
The situation continued to remain grim in West Champaran as a vital road link (NH 727) which connects Uttar Pradesh with Bagaha via Madanpur forests remained paralysed for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday. The NH-727 near Parsauna under Chautarawa police station was reeling under knee-deep water.
However, various hilly rivers, which flow in the district from neighboring Nepal, were showing receding trend. Discharge of Gandak barrage at Valmiki Nagar came down from 1,09,400 cusecs to 84,214 cusecs on Thursday.
Floodwaters gradually receded from Sapahi, Gudguddi, Salahabariyarwa and Bagahi panchayats under Ramnagar and Bagaha-1 blocks. However, the road connecting Gobarahiya Don with Banakatawa-Karamahiya panchayats remained cut off from Ramnagar block and Bagaha on Thursday. Bhaluhi and Copon rivers were eroded hundred acres of paddy and sugarcane crops near Banakatawa and Gobarahiya villages,” said Dipu Jaiswal of Serawa village under Ramnagar block.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician and former Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday appealed for more relief and compensation for the flood-victims. “It is as if a bad omen is upon my home state, which was reeling under the effect of an encephalitis outbreak, extreme heat and now floods,” he told a news agency.
He added, “This happens year after year. But this is not the time to play the blame-game. It’s time for remedy, relief and compensation. People have come out on the streets and are living in the so-called shelter homes with minimum or no facilities...People are suffering. We have to think of a permanent solution to the existing problem. Sooner the better. We need immediate help relief and permanent remedial measures.”