Bihar CM Nitish Kumar conducts aerial survey in three districts as water level rises in several rivers in Bihar

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday conducted an aerial survey of West Champaran, East Champaran and Gopalganj districts and took stock of the rising water levels in several rivers in the three districts.
Water levels in several rivers of these districts have risen remarkably following release of huge rainwaters from the Valmiki Nagar-based Gandak barrage and continuous rainfall in their catchment areas for the past few days.All major rivers in these three districts including Gandak, Burhi Gandak and Lal Bakeya originate from neighbouring Nepal.
The CM also inspected water level at the Gandak barrage at Valmiki Nagar and issued necessary instructions to the officials.
During the inspection and review of the water level, the CM asked the officials that the state’s water resources department (WRD) should remain fully alert and keep monitoring constantly the water level in the rivers and overall situation in the region.
“The district magistrate will ensure continuous monitoring of the situation in the low-lying areas where the level of flood waters is on a rising trend. The WRD engineers should remain alert and senior officials will camp in the affected areas,” Nitish told the officials during review.
Nitish further said, “The detailed instructions, which have already been issued to all district magistrates and concerned departments as per the standard operation procedures (SOP), must be literally followed.”
He said the district administration should keep complete preparations regarding operation of boats, availability of relief materials, polythene sheets, medicines, fodder, packets of dry ration as well as necessary arrangements at the flood relief centers, so that people could be provided immediate relief in the case of arrival of floods.
Nitish also said that the disaster management department would regularly review what other things have to do in the coming days, so that the flood affected people would not have to face difficulties. He said the flood affected people should be provided all necessary assistance as per the SOP.
State’s WRD minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, principal secretary to the CM Deepak Kumar, development commissioner-cum- ACS (WRD) Chaitanya Prasad, disaster management department’s ACS Pratyaya Amrit, West Champaran DM Dinesh Kumar Rai, Bagaha SP Sushant Kumar Saroj and several senior officials of the WRD and district administration were present during the inspection of the Gandak barrage, a communique issued from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said here on Monday.