Floods in India’s Bihar state affect nearly 5 million people — Dawn
Flooding in the eastern Indian state of Bihar has affected nearly five million people. Aid is being sent to the hardest-hit areas, Dawn reports.
Water levels in rivers
According to the state’s water resources department, following heavy rainfall on Tuesday, water levels in all seven of Bihar’s main rivers exceeded the danger mark. Bihar is among India’s states that frequently suffer from flooding.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said that food, clean drinking water, medicines and other essential aid are being provided continuously to families in need.
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Payments and aid
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that more than 827,000 flood-affected families had received 7,000 rupees each, or about $72. Authorities opened 13 relief camps, organized more than a thousand community kitchens and deployed nearly 1,800 boats in the affected areas.
Flooding in the state began this month. Local media reported 20 deaths, while officials said that water had inundated large areas of agricultural land. Bihar is located downstream from Nepal, where deadly flooding also occurred last month.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a federal government team to conduct a detailed assessment of the damage, officials said.
