Patna: With three more deaths, the toll in Bihar floods on Sunday increased to 156 with the swollen Ganga affecting 37.21 lakh people in 12 districts of the state.
The three deaths have been reported from Samstipur district, a release by the Disaster Management Department said.
The flood has been caused by a spate in Ganga, Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra, Kosi and other rivers and has affected 37.21 lakh people in 2,024 villages under 569 panchayats in 12 districts of the state, it said.
The Ganga is flowing above the danger mark at seven places - Digha Ghat, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah in Patna, Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, besides in Munger and Buxar districts.
A total 5.56 lakh people have been evacuated so far from the 12 flood-affected districts of Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar, the release said.
The government is plying 2,821 boats for evacuation and national and state disaster response forces have already been deployed in the affected districts.
A total of 598 relief camps are being run in the flood- hit areas in which 3.03 lakh people have taken shelter. Medical services are being provided in the camps by 383 teams, the release said.
According to a NDRF release, twins were born on a NDRF boat on Sunday while being taken to Mohanpur primary health centre (PHC) in Bihar's Patna district.
Later, the newborns and the mother were admitted to Mohanpur primary health centre, it said, adding this is the third time when babies were delivered on an NDRF boat while being taken to the hospital.
The NDRF team was asked for help by Rekha Devi's (25) family members. Within 50 minutes, a NDRF boat reached Chandrapura village from Kachi Dargah in Patna. The team took the woman and other family members on the boat but she gave birth on the boat while being taken to PHC.
In order to speed up relief and rescue operations in view of floods in the state, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday inspected the relief camps in Bhagalpur.
The CM held a meeting to review the flood situation with top officials and gave necessary directions in this regard, an official report said.
Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Vyasji and District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, DIG and IG were also present during the meeting, it said.
Kumar later reached Purnea where he also held a meeting with top officials regarding the flood relief operations being carried out in Purnea, Araria and Kishanganj.
The CM will visit Katihar on Monday where he is to inspect relief camps and review the relief and rescue operations in the district, the release added.
