Toll due to Bihar floods rises to 27 with 2 new deaths reported today; over 80 lakh people affected so far

Patna: With two more deaths, the toll due to the Bihar floods climbed to 27 on Thursday, as a total of 81.79 lakh people were affected in 16 districts, the Disaster Management Department bulletin said. The two deaths have been reported from Khagaria district, the bulletin said. Nearly 11.59 thousand more population were hit by flood fury on Thursday. The calamity has affected 81,79,257 people in 1,317 panchayats of 130 blocks till Thursday, against 81,67,671 sufferers till Wednesday evening, it said. Of the 27 deaths, Darbhanga district reported 11, followed by six in Muzaffarpur, four in West Champaran and two each in Saran, Siwan and Khagaria. The Ganga is flowing 13 centimetres above the danger mark at Gandhi Ghat, 27 centimetres above the mark at Hathidah (both in Patna) and more than 31 cm above the mark at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur, a bulletin of the Water Resources Department said. Prominent rivers which are flowing above the danger mark included the Baghmati, Burhi Gandak, Khiroi and the Ghaghra. Additional Secretary of Disaster Management Department M Ramachandrudu said, of the total six relief centres, five centres are operating in Samastipur and one in Khagaria. A total of 5,186 people are living in the relief centres, he said. About 5.50 lakh people have been evacuated by 26 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) till now, he said. The state government has so far transferred Rs 555.60 crore into the bank accounts of 9,26,077 flood-affected families in the state, said Ramachandrudu. An amount of Rs 6,000 is being transferred to the bank account of each affected family as gratuitous relief, the official said. The distribution of gratuitous relief is currently underway and the remaining families will be given the amount very soon, he said.