This year due to heavy rains 13 districts of Bihar are in waters. The district include West Champaran and Madhubani where Patna Jesuit Society is involved with various empowerment programmes.
According to the Hindustan Times, Mahananda, Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak and Kankai were among the rivers in spate due to heavy rains in Nepal and its catchment areas.
According to the same newspaper, Six additional teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which had been airlifted from Bhubaneswar, had been dispatched to the affected districts. While three teams of the NDRF had been sent to Sitamarhi, a team each was dispatched to Gopalganj, Bagaha (West Champaran) and Muzaffarpur.
Around 300 army personnel and two army choppers had joined 3,900 SDRF and NDRF personnel in evacuation and relief operations. Principal secretary, disaster management department, Pratyaya Amrit, said: “Three columns of the army have already reached Darbhanga and has been dispatched to critical areas.” He said the priority of the government was to evacuate the marooned expeditiously.”
Amrit said the flood due to unprecedented rains was challenging, and district magistrates of the affected districts had been told to set up relief camps.
In West Champaran several embankments have been breached. With the water released from the barrage at Valmikinagar (Indo-Nepal boarder), the people are still in danger.
Patna Jesuit Society is trying to establish contact with own units there as communications are yet to be restored. Yesterday a team from Bettiah were on the way to Ratanpurwa and Gaunaha at the Indo-Nepal boarder, but due to the damaging of the bridges, they had to return. But they are exploring other possibilities.
The photos are from West Champaran where PJS personnel are engaged.
According to the newspaper Indian Express, nearly nearly two million people have been affected by the floods in Bihar, including thousands who have been forced to evacuate from their homes, officials said on Monday.
Compiled by Siji,SJ