Eight drown in Sheohar, Muzaffarpur; flood situation remains grim in north Bihar

PATNA: Nine more persons died in the floodwaters in the state on Tuesday. Five girls drowned at Pacharagot under Tariyani police station area in Sheohar district while two minor boys and one girl were swept away in the swollen Bagmati at Sitalpatti under the Minapur block in Muzaffarpur district.

“The girls were swept away in the current while taking a bath in a pond outside the village.

Their bodies have been fished out,” Sheohar DM Arshad Aziz said, adding the ex gratia amount will be paid to the family members of the deceased girls after postmortem.

In Muzaffarpur, more than one lakh people from Katara and Aurai blocks have taken shelter at safer places. Muzaffarpur DM Alok Ranjan Ghosh said, “Two NDRF teams are patrolling 64 panchayats in Katara, Aurai and Gaighat blocks where 8,450 families are badly affected by floods. We have set up 10 community kitchens and 415 OPDs in the rescue camps to provide medical help.”

The condition deteriorated in neighbouring Sitamarhi as floodwaters of Bagmati, Lalbakeya, Adhwara, Lakhandei, Rato, Marar and Hardi rivers have engulfed almost the entire district. Fifteen out 17 blocks in Sitamarhi district are affected. Lakhandei riverwater entered Sitamarhi town through sippages and rat holes in the ring bund. Knee-deep water was flowing on Sadar hospital premises and near Rajendra Bhawan. Road links to many block headquarters have been washed away.

The situation in Dhaka and Patahi blocks in East Champaran district remained grim. Water from Sarisawa Tilawe and two other hilly rivers from Nepal to the Burhi Gandak have already inundated 15 panchayats of Raxaul and Ramgarhwa blocks. Fresh floodwaters of Burhi Gandak river inundated Sugauli town where station, market and police station were under knee-deep water.

The situation at Fenehara Madhuban and Pakaridayal blocks slightly improved. However, rural roads were badly damaged and cut off from block headquarters. The block office and FCI godown at Banjariya are under four feet deep floodwaters.

East Champaran DM Raman Kumar claimed the situation was getting back to normal. “Around 31,000 people of 24 panchayats under eight blocks are affected by rainwater and subsequent floods since July 13 and 14 persons have died in flood-related incidents,” he said.

Meanwhile, vehicular traffic on NH-727 was paralysed due to sudden breach in a diversion for making a culvert between Dumaria and Chautarawa village under Bagaha-1 block on Tuesday. Several heavy vehicles were stranded on both sides of the diversion.

SDM Bagaha Vijay Prakash Meena said efforts were being made to plug the gap to restore traffic. Floodwaters in around 50 villages in West Champaran were receding though. Most of the villagers have shifted to safer places. People of Motipur panchayat were facing acute food problem.

In Madhubani, fresh areas came under floodwaters. Jhanjharpur, Phulparas, Madhepur, Lakhnaur, Baboobarhi, Laukaha, Laukahi, Ladania, Jayanagar blocks are badly affected as floodwaters of Adhawara group of rivers and their tributaries entered hundreds of villages in Benipatti, Madhawapur, Bisfi, Basopatti and Harlakhi blocks of the district.

Madhubani DM Shirsat Kapil Ashok said 1.45 lakh people in 73 panchayats were affected by floods. He said seven persons were reported dead or missing in the floods in the district. “More community kitchens would soon be started. Fodder for livestocks too are being distributed. Mobile medical teams are in place to cater to the needs of suffering victims,” he said.