Patna: Flash floods in Bihar triggered by unusual torrential rainfall in Nepal have claimed 66 lives in the state and affected more than 25 lakh people in at least 12 districts.
The government, however, claims that only 34 people died in the flood.
An NDRF release said a 30-year-old pregnant woman was carried from her home in Jhanjharpur sub-division to a hospital in Madhubani district by its personnel through inundated roads. The woman gave birth to a child in the hospital and they were taken back to their residence safely.
The Darbhanga district administration said it has suspended two teachers of a government secondary schools for their failure to carry out relief and rehabilitation work.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told the Assembly that officials have been instructed to ensure that ex gratia reach the kin of those killed in the floods within 24 hours of their loss.
Adequate funds will be made available for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people, he said, adding, "It has been our stated principle that those affected by calamities have the first claim to the government's coffers."
The chief minister said floods normally struck north Bihar in August or, sometimes, in September, but this time they came a month earlier primarily because of unusually heavy rainfall in the Terai region of neighbouring Nepal.
For the last three-four days, the Terai region of Nepal has been lashed by rainfalls ranging between 280-300 mm which was many times higher than the 50 mm which is considered normal for the area during this time of the year.
As a result, several rivers in Bihar like Kosi, Bagmati and Mahananda have been in spate, the chief minister said in the House.
He also asserted that rescue work was being carried out in right earnest and about 1.25 lakh people have been taken to safer places from the flood-ravaged areas.
As many as 199 relief camps have been set up so far, where 1.11 lakh people have taken shelter and they were being fed through nearly 700 community kitchens, Kumar said and assured the House that more relief camps and community kitchens will be set up if such a need arises.
Good quality of food and drinking water is being ensured and so is the availability of bleaching powder and chlorine tablets, ORS and anti-diarrhoea drugs, he said.
Also read: WB: Clash breaks out between BJYM members and police in Howrah
