Patna (Bihar) [India], October 6 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary reviewed the flood situation in the state and the damage caused by it, directing officials to submit a detailed report at the earliest.
According to a press release, the review meeting was held at the ‘Sankalp’ auditorium at Lok Sevak Awas in the presence of BJP national president and MP Nitin Nabin.
During the meeting on Tuesday, Water Resources Department Secretary Dr Chandrashekhar Singh briefed the Chief Minister about the causes of the floods and the situation that emerged in the state in two phases.
During the first phase, the Ganga, Son, Ghaghra, Kosi and Punpun rivers recorded new highest water levels compared to previous records.
In the second phase, the Gandak River recorded its highest water levels at four locations due to excessive rainfall. Six locations in West Champaran, Gopalganj and Saran districts witnessed damage to embankments.
Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Santosh Kumar Mall briefed the meeting about the relief and rescue operations carried out during the floods.
Choudhary said a serious flood situation emerged this year due to the exceptionally high volume of water in the Ganga, Gandak and Son rivers compared to previous years.
He said accumulation of silt in riverbeds was also one of the major reasons for floods. Bihar is the first state in the country to formulate a silt policy, the Chief Minister said.
The CM directed officials to continuously monitor the current condition of rivers and the damage caused by the floods and directed that a preliminary detailed report on the damage caused by the floods be submitted at the earliest so that relief, rehabilitation and necessary development works in affected areas could be expedited.
Choudhary said ex-gratia relief would be distributed among families affected by the second phase of floods on October 12, 2026.
He also directed the Disaster Management Department to coordinate with all concerned departments to assess the damage caused by the floods and the expenditure likely to be incurred on restoration, and submit the report at the earliest.
Officials were further directed to ensure necessary arrangements after the drainage of water from flood-affected areas, keeping in view possible problems that may arise.
Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Disaster Management Minister Ratnesh Sada, Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Agriculture Department Principal Secretary Narmadeshwar Lal and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, CM Samrat Choudhary on Saturday (3 October) directed the Disaster Management Department to ensure timely delivery of relief materials to flood-affected and inaccessible areas of Saran district, with special air-dropping operations being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, more than 28 tonnes of food supplies, comprising over 5,600 dry ration packets, have been air-dropped in flood-affected areas of Saran district through 15 sorties by Indian Air Force helicopters. The air-dropping operations have been arranged by the Disaster Management Department in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence following the directions of the Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, to ensure timely delivery of essential food supplies to flood-affected and inaccessible areas.
This initiative aims to deliver essential food supplies to flood-affected areas where road access has become difficult due to waterlogging and flooding. The Disaster Management Department and the district administration are continuously monitoring the situation in the flood-affected areas. To meet the needs of the affected population, alternative modes of transport are being utilised alongside road routes as required.
The administration is striving to ensure that essential relief and food supplies reach every flood-affected family as quickly as possible.
Pilots and personnel from various units of the Indian Air Force are playing a crucial role in this special relief operation. The airdropping operation is being conducted under the leadership of Group Captain Anuj Gupta and Wing Commander Vishal Khatri (Gorakhpur), Squadron Leader Rohit Dadarwal, Flight Lieutenant Kunal Kalamkar (Bagdogra) and Flight Lieutenant Rathore Bharat Singh (Bagdogra).
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has expressed special gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Defence (Government of India), and the Indian Air Force for delivering relief supplies to the flood-affected people of Bihar during this challenging time.
He stated that relief and rescue operations are being effectively carried out in the flood-affected areas through the coordinated efforts of the Central and State governments. (ANI)
Related reading
