Bihar floods: 7 lakh people in 10 districts badly affected

More than 7 lakh people have been affected across 10 districts in Bihar due to incessant rains and rising floods. The Gandak river breached its main embankment late on Thursday night, causing massive flooding.

 The river breached its embankment at three places in Gopalganj and Motihari districts, causing floodwater to inundate villages. Saran, Barauli, Manjha and Baikunthapur were among the most affected areas. Chhapra and Siwan also faced the wrath of the swelling Gandak. On the other hand, a constant rise in the water levels of Bagmati and Adhwara rivers has also been recorded, leading to floods in several parts of Sheohar and Sitamarhi.

Roadways and transport routes have also suffered a hit due to the widespread flooding. The Gandak in Motihari caused traffic to come to a halt on NH 28, leaving people stranded along the highway. Seepage was detected on NH 74 near Sangrampur, Champaran. The main road between Bairgania and Riga in Sitamarhi has also submerged completely, cutting off dozens of villages from reaching the district headquarters.

On Friday, train services for Darbhanga-Samastipur were also suspended at 7.05 am after floodwater reached the girder bridge near Hayaghat. Meanwhile, NDRF and SDRF teams have been called for service and close to 36,000 people have been moved to safer locations.

The flood situation in Bihar does not seem to be subsiding soon as rivers have shown an upward trend in water levels. Thousands of hectares of standing crop and hundreds of villages in the state have been affected badly. Other districts which are suffering due to the floods include Kishanganj, Khagaria, Supaul, East and West Champaran, Darbhanga, and Muzaffarpur.