Poor Dam Management Worsens Bihar Floods, Over 29 Lakh people Affected

127 people have died and over 29 lakh have been people affected as Bihar reels under massive flood situation that has hit 24 districts of the state.

Bihar is facing the worst floods in the decade despite the state has received less than normal rainfall this year. This is mainly because of the release of water from Nepal and adjoining states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal where Bihar is mainly at the receiving end. The major rivers flowing through the state are in a spate.

The Ganga was flowing above the danger mark in Digha ghat, Gandhi ghat, Hathidah in Patna, Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon.

River Sone was flowing above the danger level by 129 cm near Maner in Patna.

The flood situation compelled Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking intervention from the Centre to desilt the river Ganga and also demanding the removal of Farakka barrage which, he insisted was behind increasing silt in the river.

The Bansagar dam in Madhya Pradesh accumulated for over one month and it started releasing the water only when it was 95.22% full. The dam authority had opened 16 of its 18 gates on August 19, releasing a huge amount of water in one go. It led to the Ganga rising to unprecedented levels in Patna and elsewhere in Bihar and UP.

Silt management in different rivers of India is still a major concern in the country and there are no national policies to solve the problem. This is resulting into floods in most of the cases.

778 relief camps have been set up in the flood-hit areas that are providing shelter to almost six lakh people. As per an official statement, rescue teams have evacuated over 200,000 people. The government is also providing dry as well as cooked meals to the flood victims and has also arranged separate toilets for men and women.