Bihar floods: IMD sounds orange alert in Patna, Vaishali, Begusarai and Khagaria districts for 3-4 Oct; rescue ops in full swing

As Bihar continues to reel under the impact of incessant rains and flooding, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded an orange alert on Thursday in Patna, Vaishali, Begusarai and Khagaria districts for 3 and 4 October, as these areas are expected to receive heavy rainfall. The impending downpour will add to the woes of the state, which is battling heavy flooding since 27 September. Restoration efforts have been on in full-swing since Monday and government relief workers have been hard at work to fight epidemic threat, with  75 teams being deployed in Patna  to sprinkle bleaching powder and remove animal carcass. “75 teams will go to waterlogged areas where they will sprinkle bleaching powder and will remove the carcass. The level of water has decreased. We have deployed pumps to drain out water. There is a danger of epidemic due to filth. The water level in the river has increased. The administration has deployed NDRF and SDRF teams,” District magistrate Ravi Kumar told ANI on Thursday. In Patna, people have formed long queues to collect food packets and water bottles which were distributed by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) in Rajendra Nagar area.

Bihar: People queue up for food packets and water bottles being distributed by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, in Rajendra Nagar area of Patna. pic.twitter.com/KLSqdYwJlN

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2019

Meanwhile, to take stock of the situation, Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister and member Lok Sabha from Patna Sahib Constituency had also visited the flood-affected area. “I have visited all the areas of Kankarbag. The water has receded there to a great level. The biggest challenge is regarding health. Bleaching, fogging should be done…The administration is preparing a plan regarding that. As soon as the water level recedes, work will begin on it,” said the Minister. The NDRF has rescued over ten thousand people from Patna. The rescue teams have been rowing people across the flooded streets in inflated boats for the past few days. Five NDRF teams have been deployed in Patna’s Rajendra Nagar and Kankarbagh alone to assist people amid the flood situation. Water had also entered the Kankarbagh Police Station.

#Bihar: Patna's Pataliputra colony and Rajendra Nagar continue to reel under impact of flood. pic.twitter.com/FG8ke794hN

— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2019

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Indian Air Force helicopters have also been dropping relief material to the flood-affected areas. According to the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, 40 people have died in the state due to the floods so far. Patna was brought to a standstill for the past several days after many areas in the city submerged in chest-deep water. “It has been ten days since there has been waterlogging in our area. Municipal Corporation is working to drain out water,” Arun Kumar Singh, a resident said. Earlier this week, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar waded through water-logged streets, supervising rescue and rehabilitation work, News18 reported “All possible efforts are being made. People are urged to have patience. The worst affected localities like Rajendra Nagar and Kankar Bagh are in low-lying areas and hence vulnerable to water-logging. It was after a long time that the city was lashed by a torrent of this magnitude. Hence, this problem,” he had said to reporters. With inputs from ANI