MORE than 49 lakh people in 15 districts of Bihar have been affected by floods as heavy rain over the past few days further swelled the rivers of the state already flowing above their danger marks. The local weather office said the State has recorded 111.7 mm of rain so far in September, around 13 per cent above normal. An official on Monday said incessant rain in catchment areas of rivers flowing from Nepal into Bihar and heavy rainfall in the state itself have caused several rivers and streams to flow above their danger marks.

 

According to the Disaster Management Department, around 49.36 lakh people in 15 districts have been affected by floods. These districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura and Araria. The Ganga was flowing at 36.21 metres at 6 am on Monday at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur, which was 1.71 metres above the danger level .

 

The Kosi river was flowing above the danger mark at Baltara and Kursela, the Budhi Gandak at Khagaria, the Ganga at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger, the Punpun at Sripalpur, the Bagmati at Benibad, and the Ghaghara at Darauli. The administration was operating 1,260 community kitchens and 13 relief camps in floodaffected areas. Accommodation, food, medical care and other essential arrangements have been made for around 11,060 people, it said.