A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Nepal, a landslide in the Himalayan State resulted in creation of an artificial dam on the Kosi River on Saturday, triggering possibility of a flood that could affect parts of Bihar.
The State and Central Governments swung into action to contain the damage. Modi directed that all help be given to Bihar and Nepal to meet any eventuality.The Bihar Government ordered immediate evacuation of around 1.5 lakh people living between the Kosi River and its embankment. The evacuation is going on in Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Araria, Purnia, Madhubani districts that are likely to be gripped by the imminent flood. The State Government also sought assistance from the Army in evacuating people amid the looming danger from the flood.
The Crisis Management Committee (CMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, held an emergency meeting in New Delhi in view of the development and a decision was taken to rush some experts to Nepal besides 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to Bihar. Seth also spoke to Bihar Chief Secretary and promised all assistance from the Centre.
The Centre rushed a team of experts to Nepal to help them with technical support, officials said in New Delhi adding more specialists could be sent if required. The Government has also sent eight NDRF teams to Bihar from Delhi and seven from Kolkata to help in rescue and relief.Due to the landslide, about 20-25 lakh cusecs of water has collected in the artificial dam. Nepalese authorities are making “controlled breaches” in it so that water can be released slowly and in less quantity. However, if these efforts do not succeed and the artificial dam bursts, parts of Bihar could face “temporary floods” within 14-18 hours, the officials said.
Places like Madhepura, Supaul and Saharsa could face the maximum damage if floods occur, the officials said, adding places like Madhubani and Khagaria could also be impacted. About six years ago, a breach in Kosi River led to floods causing massive devastation in Bihar.Amid estimates from Nepal that a ten-metre high water flow is expected from Nepal to hit the districts along Kosi’s embankments, the Bihar Government ordered immediate evacuation from the areas likely to be hit by floods.
Terming the situation as “most alarming,” Bihar Disaster Management Department (DMD) Principal Secretary Vyasji said the Nepal Government has informed them that a ten-metre high flow of water in Kosi will come to India as a result of measures being taken there to remove the landslide and the resultant damming of one of the tributaries there.
He said the highest level alert has been sounded and Supaul town has been made the headquarters to tackle the imminent crisis. Relief and rescue operations are being planned if the Kosi water breaches or crosses the embankment causing floods in the districts.“The people are being asked to evacuate the area between the river and its embankments and take refuge in relief camps established by the District Magistrates. NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are reaching there. We have also alerted New Delhi about the impending disaster,” added Vyasji.
The crisis-like situation developed after a massive landslide on Friday night over Bhote Kosi, a major tributary of the Kosi River. The landslide has blocked the main course of the river, causing formation of a huge water body. The Nepal Army is preparing to blast it to provide relief to the area, but the operation will release a massive volume of water into the Kosi River.
Evacuation of around 1.5 lakh people living between the Kosi River and its embankment is going on in Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Araria, Purnia, Madhubani districts, he said. The District Magistrates of these eight districts are overseeing the evacuation process.
Experts have identified four places where the gushing water might hit the Kosi embankment in Bihar. Several teams of engineers have been flown to these places to strengthen them, he said. The State Government has opened 21 relief camps in Supaul, 28 in Saharsa, 22 in Khagaria, and two each in Madhepura, Madhubani and Bhagalpur districts so far.
A breach in Kosi embankment at Kushaha in Nepal on August 18, 2008 had resulted in one of the most disastrous floods in Bihar. The river changed its course, killing hundreds of people and displacing around 30 lakh. The floods also caused significant destruction of crops in over 8 lakh acres of farmland.
2008 nightmare againIJ
The evacuation is going on in Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Araria, Purnia, Madhubani districts that are likely to be gripped by the imminent flood
The State Government also sought assistance from the Army in evacuating people amid the looming danger from the flood
The Centre rushed a team of experts to Nepal to help them with technical support, officials said in New Delhi adding more specialists could be sent if required
The Govt has also sent eight NDRF teams to Bihar from Delhi and seven from Kolkata to help in rescue and relief operation
About six years ago, a breach in Kosi River led to floods causing massive devastation in Bihar. The river changed its course, killing hundreds of people and displacing around 30 lakh