Patna, Aug 28: Parts of Bihar faced the threat of a deluge as water levels in the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi and Burhi Gandak rivers showed a rising trend following the devastating flash floods and rains in neighbouring Nepal.
A senior official here said that excess water brought in by the flash floods has caused the Gandak river to swell, forcing authorities to open all 36 gates of a barrage over the river in Valmiki Nagar.
Around 1.02 lakh cusecs of water were released from the Gandak Barrage by 5 pm on Friday.
“Teams of the Water Resources Department at the Gandak barrage are on alert. Officers have been directed to ensure regular inspection of the river embankments, maintain a round-the-clock vigil and make all preparations for a possible emergency,” the official said.
An ice-rock landslide blocked a river near Nepal’s border with China, triggering a flash flood that devastated the Himalayan nation, leaving at least 547 dead.
This, along with incessant rainfall, led to both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar administrations stepping up monitoring of their river systems downstream of the rivers of Nepal.
“The water levels of several rivers, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi and Burhi Gandak, have been rising following continuous rainfall in their catchment areas in Nepal.
“The rivers have touched or crossed the danger level at several places in the bordering districts,” a senior official of the Water Resources Department said.
According to the department’s bulletin on Friday, the Gandak, Kosi, Ganga, Burhi Gandak and Ghaghra rivers were flowing above the danger mark at many places in the state and had touched warning levels in some places.
The Gandak river has breached the danger mark in Gopalganj, while the Kosi and Burhi Gandak have touched the danger level in Khagaria, Katihar and Kursela.
The Ganga was flowing above the danger mark at Digha, Hathidah and Gandhighat in Patna and Kahlgaon in Bhagalpur, said the bulletin, adding that the Ghaghra river was flowing above the danger mark in Siwan district’s Darauli.
People in low-lying areas have been shifted to safety, said a senior official. All departments concerned in Bihar have been put on alert.
“District Magistrates have been directed to personally monitor the situation. Flood Control Department officials and engineers are camping at vulnerable sites in Bhagalpur, Purnea, Katihar, West Champaran and other districts”, the official said.
The National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been kept on standby at certain locations. (PTI)
