Over 100 Bihar villages flooded, rivers rising

Flood water has entered over 100 villages in Bihar, forcing people to abandon their homes, and rising water level in most rivers is posing a threat to many other villages, officials said Friday.

All the inundated villages are in flood-prone districts of Bagha, Gopalganj, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Saharsa, Khagaria, Darbhanga and Madhepura.

Principal secretary of state disaster management department Vayasji one name) said major rivers in north Bihar, especially the Kosi, Gandak, Kamla Balan and Bagmati, are in spate following heavy rains in their catchment areas in Nepal. They are posing a threat of floods.

"Situation may worsen in the next 24 to 48 hours. Keeping this in view we have sounded high alert in districts of north Bihar," he said.

A water resource department official said: "Water entered these villages after levels rose in all the major rivers following heavy rain in the state and the catchment areas in Nepal."

An official said that standing crops worth crores of rupees have been damaged and road communication snapped at several places.

However, Bihar Water Resources Development Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said all embankments are safe and there is no need to panic.

In view of the worsening flood situation, eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state disaster response force have been deployed in five flood-hit districts.

Vayasji said he has asked for five additional NDRF teams from the central government.

Reports suggest that authorities have asked hundreds of people to shift to safer areas.

The state government has asked engineers and district officials to keep a 24-hour vigil.