Flood threat abates in Bihar, 60,000 head home

More than 60,000 people who were evacuated due to a flood threat in Bihar's Kosi river returned to their homes by Wednesday morning, an official said.

"Over 60,000 people from relief camps have returned to their homes since Tuesday," Anirudh Kumar, an official of the state disaster management department, told IANS here.

He said the state government asked them to return as the flood threat had abated.

Anirudh said there were 6,000-7,000 people in relief camps in Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul districts of the Kosi region.

Kosi Commissioner Ramrup Singh said that all those who are still in relief camps will return by Thursday.

More than 70,000 people were evacuated early this week due to threat of a flood in the region.

Anirudh Kumar said the state government had invoked provisions of the Disaster Management Act last Sunday to initiate forcible evacuation of people living between the embankments or danger zone of river Kosi.

The state government Tuesday stopped the forcible evacuation after the flood threat in the state abated.