Flood alert in Bihar as Ganga flows above danger mark

An alert was sounded as the threat of floods returned in Bihar with the Ganga and four other rivers flowing above the danger mark even as temperatures in most parts of Punjab and Haryana today rose with the mercury settling three notches above normal in the northern states.

The districts of Bihar situated on the banks of the Ganga have been put on alert as the Central Water Commission today warned Ganga basin districts that the river may witness a rise in water level for next one to five days.

Due to the increase in the water level of the Ganga, waters have reportedly entered into the riverine areas of the districts like Patna, Buxar, Bhojpur, Munger, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur and Samastipur, a Disaster Management Department statement said.
 

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, already pre-positioned in Patna, Vaishali and Gopalganj, have been put on alert while State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been put on alert in Patna and Bhagalpur, it said.

Ganga and four other rivers -- Punpun, Ghaghra, Kosi and Burhi Gandak -- are flowing above danger mark in Patna, Bhagalpur and Buxar districts, the statement said.

Maximum temperatures hovered from one degree celsius above normal to three notches above normal in most parts of Punjab and Haryana, the MeT office said.

Ambala and Hisar settled at an identical high of 36.7 degrees celsius, three notches each above normal.

While Patiala had a high of 36.5 degrees celsius, three notches above normal, the maximum at Amritsar was 36.4 degrees celsius, two notches above normal.

Chandigarh and Ludhiana settled at an identical high of 35.5 degrees celsius each, three and two notches respectively above normal.

The MeT department forecast light to moderate rainfall at few places in the region during the next 48 hours.

It was a sultry day in Delhi with high humidity levels troubling Delhiites even as mercury settled at normal levels.

"The maximum and minimum temperatures settled at 34.4 and 26.4 degrees Celsius, both normal for this time of the year," a MeT official said.

The three other metropolitan cities of Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai recorded maximum temperatures of 33.1, 38.4, and 30.7 degrees Celsius respectively.