Over one million people affected in Bihar floods

Over one million people are reeling under floods in Bihar as all major rivers are in spate with surface communication between Bhagalpur and Kahalgaon, where the national thermal powerplant is situated, been snapped.

State Water Resources Department said most of the rivers, includingPunpun, Bagmati, Kosi and Adhwara Group, were maintaining risingtrends and some of these rivers had crossed the danger mark in someplaces.Water Resources Minister Ramashray Prasad Singh held a high-levelmeeting with senior officials of the department and ask them to takeprecautionary measures to ensure all vital embankments are protected.

According to an initial estimate, around one million people spreadover the districts of Bhagalpur, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Saharsa andSupaul continued to reel under the impact of flood.A Bhagalpur report quoting official sources said train services on Bhagalpur-Kahalgaon loop section were suspended following fissure in arail bridge near Lailakmakhwa village.

Road communication was also disrupted as the water of swollen Jaruaovertopped the road at Puraina between Bhagalpur and Jagdishpur.

Sources said the state government had sought Rs 15,000 crore from theCentre.