Patna, Oct 1 (PTI) Amid grim flood situation in Bihar with 11.84 lakh people reeling under water, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who hails from the state, visited the affected areas and said that he would share details of the “frightening” conditions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who returned from New Delhi a day ago, also undertook an aerial survey of the areas inundated as a result of release of millions of cusecs of water, in a barrage along the border, by Nepal which was battered by record rainfall over the weekend.
According to the state disaster management department, packets of food and other relief materials were air-dropped by Indian Air Force helicopters which benefitted more than two lakh people in Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts.
Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, who met Union Jalshakti Minister C R Patil in Delhi a day ago, said he has urged the latter to consider construction of “an additional barrage” to check recurring floods that wreak devastation in areas bordering Nepal every year.
Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and represents the Hajipur constituency, spent hours in badly affected districts like Purnea and Saharsa inspecting the relief work, listening to the grievances of the people and, on some occasions, pulling up errant officials.
Talking to PTI-Bhasha over phone, he said, “I am satisfied with the handling of the situation by the state government. It is an unprecedented situation. At some places, people raised some issues and I directed officials accordingly”.
The young leader, who left for the national capital in the evening, also spoke to reporters at the airport here and said he found the situation “frightening” though receding water levels promised some respite.
He, however, said it is a “serious matter which I am going to discuss threadbare with the prime minister as also the chief minister”.
“Unprecedented rainfall may have made the problem more intense this year but floods ravage Bihar every year and, in my view, only a radical measure like the inter-linking of rivers can be a permanent solution (sthayi samadhan). I hope all political parties will support such a move,” Paswan said.
He also lashed out at opposition leaders in the state, whom he did not mention by name, saying “they have a responsibility towards the people but they seem to be content with shedding tears on social media while enjoying vacations elsewhere”.
However, RJD MP Misa Bharti claimed that the NDA government in the state was “late” in responding to the situation.
“We can see disturbing visuals of people stranded at marooned places, with their families, cattle and whatever belongings they could collect. Floods hit these districts every year. But the government woke up late”, she alleged.
Meanwhile, according to the disaster management department, the number of people affected by floods has reached 11.84 lakhs and they are spread across 368 panchayats, falling under 78 blocks of 16 districts.
According to the state water resources development ministry, breaches in embankments have been reported from seven places in four districts.
For safe evacuation of people, altogether 16 teams of NDRF and 14 of the state disaster response force (SDRF) have been pressed into service. In addition, six more teams of NDRF were on their way from Varanasi and Ranchi.
Around 840 boats are plying in the affected areas, including 10 “boat ambulances” aimed at helping those facing any type of medical emergency.
Altogether 12,400 people are staying put at 24 relief camps while 86,900 people are being fed at 208 community kitchens, said the disaster management department. PTI ANW PKD NAC BDC
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