40 people have died in rain-related incidents across Bihar due to heavy rain

40 people have died in rain-related incidents across Bihar as heavy rain wreaked havoc in several parts of the state. About 11,000 people have been evacuated in Patna. The National Crisis Management Committee this morning reviewed the flood situation in Bihar, where 16 districts have been affected by the deluge. The Centre has dispatched 20 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and two Indian Air Force helicopters have been deployed to help in the rescue operations. The weather office has stated that while there has been very heavy rainfall in Bihar over the past few days, the situation is improving now.

Here are the live updates of chaos created due to Bihar rain:

Oct 01, 2019 14:22 (IST) Oct 2 programmes postponed due to Bihar floods

The massive water logging in Patna and flood in over a dozen districts across Bihar, after heavy rains for three days, not only has affected normal life, it has also forced the state government to defer the much hyped launch of its ambitious "Jal Jeevan Haryali Abhiyan" on October 2.

All the programmes to mark the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, including the cultural programme, have been cancelled, officials said today.

The Education Department has deferred functions in schools on October 2 in view of the water logging and flood. As per the earlier notification, all schools were ordered to remain open on October 2 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Principal secretary, Rural Development Department, Arvind Choudhary said that Jal Jeevan Haryali Abhiyan was deferred due to the situation arising after the heavy rainfall.

This campaign was the brainchild of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has advocated for the protection of environment. The state cabinet last week approved Rs 24,524 crore for the campaign to be implemented over the next three years. However, the heavy rains and the following deluge has gravely affected the government plans.

Due to the flooding, the schools have been closed till today, exams have been also been postponed and even date of official and private functions have been extended.

In the water logged residential localities in Patna, relief and rescue operations were speeded up with two helicopters engaged in dropping food, water and other essential items. The boats carrying essential items were also reaching the stranded people.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Urban Development Department have pressed in high tech machines to pump out water from the water logged localities. However, PMC was facing difficulty to pump out water as many drains were choked and some permanently clogged due to silt.

"All pump stations are running at their optimum capacity to dewater the affected areas in view of the on going Durga Puja festival. The situation is likely to be normal within next 24 hours," Chaitanya Prasad, Principal secretary of the Urban Development department said.

Much to the relief of people, there has been no rain in the last over 24 hours.

The weather department has predicted no heavy rains and clear sky with sun shine.

According to the local weather department officials, Patna has recorded 346 mm rains in four days.

Life is slowly returning to normal but it will take another two to three days if there there are no more rains. Trains have started running,life is returning to roads, particularly the national highways.

Oct 01, 2019 13:14 (IST) Dewatering machine being used to clear flood water in SK Puri area of Patna. Dewatering machine being used to clear flood water in SK Puri area of Patna Dewatering machine being used to clear flood water in SK Puri area of Patna

Oct 01, 2019 13:11 (IST) NDRF personnel carrying out relief and rescue work





Oct 01, 2019 13:10 (IST) Visuals of waterlogging in Bihar capital Patna



Oct 01, 2019 13:05 (IST) Relief materials for flood-hit people being packed

Relief materials for flood-hit people being packed at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna.



Oct 01, 2019 13:03 (IST) IAF helicopters deployed for rescue work in Bihar

Indian Air Force helicopter drops relief materials in flood affected area of Rajendra Nagar, Patna.

#WATCH: Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter drops relief materials in flood affected area of Rajendra Nagar, Patna. #BiharFloodpic.twitter.com/PBw9xlOuec - ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2019

Oct 01, 2019 13:01 (IST) 2.5 lakh affected by flood-like situation in West Bengal





Over 2.5 lakh people in West Bengal's Malda district have been affected by a flood-like situation owing to incessant rain, officials said.

Zilla Parishad president Gour Chandra Mandal said that the low-lying areas in all the blocks of the district have been inundated and a large number of mud houses have collapsed due to heavy rainfall over the past two days.

"A total of 2.5 lakh people of 50,000 households have been affected by the flood-like situation in the district. Operations are on to rescue the residents of the islets of the Ganga, who are stranded there," he said.

The district has received over 99.80 mm rain since 8.30 am on Monday, an Irrigation Department official said.

The emergency, operation theatres and the male and female medical wards of the Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) were also inundated.

Surgeries, nevertheless, were conducted in the inundated operation theatres, hospital superintendent Amit Dawn said.

Most of the wards of the district headquarter, English Bazaar, are under the water, officials said.

Water also entered the district collectorate, the district magistrate's residence and government offices, they said.

Residents blocked roads at several places demanding that the stagnant water be cleared.

On the other hand, all the major rivers in the district are flowing above the danger mark.

"While Ganga is flowing 66 cm above the extreme danger' level mark at Manikchak Ghat, Fulhar is flowing 57 cm above the danger mark at Teljana. Mahananda is also rising steadily but no alert has been sounded," Executive Engineer of Malda Irrigation Division, Pranab Samanta, said.

Flood embankment at Sakullapur under Kaliachak 2 block

and Keshorpur in Manikchak block are being repaired on a war-

footing, Samanta said.

District Magistrate Kaushik Bhattacharya, Superintendent of Police Alok Rajoria and Samanta visited Sakullapur to inspect the work on Monday.

Samanta said, while damage of Sakullapur embankment will affect residents of nine blocks in the district, around one lakh residents of Bhutni islet will be affected in an event of a breach in the Keshorpur ring embankment, which was constructed in the 1970s.

Additional District Magistrate Arnab Chatterjee said cooked food is being distributed to the people who have taken shelter at the 10 relief camps set up across the district.

An NDRF team has been stationed at Ratua area in the district for relief and rescue operation.

Oct 01, 2019 12:57 (IST) Heavy rain affects life in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rang up Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to discuss the prevailing floods and assured him of all possible help as 29 people died due to rain-related incidents in the state.

In Uttar Pradesh too heavy rain affected life and caused deaths.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, India witnessed an "above-normal'' monsoon that officially ended on September 30.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed his grief over the loss of life and displacement of people due to floods following intermittent rains in parts of India.



Oct 01, 2019 12:55 (IST) The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba reviewed the prevailing flood situation in Bihar today and directed that immediate assistance be provided to meet the crisis.

The NCMC has been informed that action to evacuate and rescue people and livestock has been taken by the state government machinery, in which all assistance have been rendered by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other Central agencies.

"Twenty teams have been deployed in the state of which six alone are deployed in Patna, which has witnessed very heavy rains and water logging over the past three days," a statement from Home Ministry said.

The Cabinet Secretary took stock of the situation, preparedness, rescue and relief operations and directed that immediate assistance, as sought by the state, be provided to meet the crisis, the statement said.

"The state government informed that due to extremely heavy rainfall in the state, along with high levels of water in the rivers, there has been flooding in 16 districts," the statement added.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that while there has been very heavy rainfall in Bihar over the past few days, the condition is improving now.

Senior officials from the Home and Defence Ministries, IMD, NDRF and Central Water Commission attended the meeting. Bihar Chief Secretary and other senior officers from the state government participated in the meeting through video conference, the statement said.

Oct 01, 2019 12:52 (IST) Patna facing flood like situation

