Respite for State as water level comes three inches down, no blasts conducted on Monday
After two days of scurry amid haunting spectre of flood fury in the Kosi, a dip of three inch in the river's water-level came in as a respite for Bihar with prediction of no more rain in the catchment area within the next 24 hours. It was also said that Nepal did not conduct any blast on Monday to remove the landslide debris which has blocked the natural course of the Bhote Kosi.
“We've got to know from Nepal through the Central Government that they did not conduct any blast on Monday to open the blocked Bhote Kosi on which an artificial lake has been built. Further relief came with the news of no rainfall during the day,” said Vyasji, principal secretary to the State Disaster Management Department. However, few controlled blasts conducted in Nepal on Sunday had raised the water-level in the river to 32 lakh cusecs from 25 lakh cusecs, said the official.
“There was no rainfall during the day so far in the catchment area despite Met Department predicting about 60-80 mm of rainfall,” said Vyasji while addressing the media.
The top State Government officials had a meeting with the Central Government officials through video conferencing on Monday to assess the situation. “On the basis of latest inputs received after the VC meeting, the Bihar Government crisis management group will meet to plan further relief and rehabilitation measures,” Vyasji added.
Flood experts said that water gushing into India due to the Nepal blasts would take at least 20 hours to reach Birpur barrage in Supaul district of north Bihar. “The threat cannot be ruled out completely yet but today seems to be a day with a silver lining,” said flood and water expert, Dinesh Mishra.
With the massive evacuation measure taken by both the State and the Centre already 68,863 people have been evacuated from the danger zone along Kosi embankment so far and efforts are on to bring more people to relief camps. Over 2.5 lakh people reside in the villages between the two embankments in the affected zone comprising eight districts. The rescue teams of NDRF and SDRF reportedly are having a tough time evacuate people giving them a hint of “flood threat”.
“Most of the people refuse to leave their houses and doubt us when we tell them there is flood alert,” said one of the NDRF member.
Officials said that a total of 128 relief camps for humans and 32 cattle camps have been put in the likely-affected districts for providing shelter to the affected. Reports said that over 1,500 personnel of NDRF, 500 Army men and 400 personnel of SDRF have been deployed to help in the evacuation process. A 24-member medical team too has reached Purnia. The State Government has also directed the district magistrates to constitute mobile teams to take people to relief camps.
However, reports from the ground also said that arrangements at the relief camps are not proper and satisfactory. The supply of food is erratic and there is also shortage of tents and other necessary infrastructures. “But the Government is leaving no stone unturned to help those in relief camps and improve the condition there,” said Vyasji.