New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS): Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav said floods had spread across around 12 to 16 districts in the state, causing extensive damage, as a central team led by Union Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is set to visit the state to assess the situation.
Speaking to IANS, Ram Kripal Yadav said the floods had affected a large number of districts, damaging crops, houses and infrastructure and leaving lakhs of people in severe difficulty.
“The floods have spread across around 12 to 16 districts, causing extensive damage. Crops of Bihar’s farmers have been destroyed, infrastructure has been damaged, houses have been washed away and lakhs of people are facing severe difficulties,” Yadav said.
He said a high-level team headed by Chouhan would visit various affected areas to assess the extent of the damage. He added that a meeting would also be held at the level of the Chief Minister in connection with the situation.
JD(U) National Spokesperson, Rajeev Ranjan, said the state had significant expectations from the central assessment team given the scale of the damage and the difficulties faced by people.
“Certainly, we have expectations because the damage caused by the floods in Bihar has been severe and people’s difficulties have increased,” Ranjan said.
He added that although the situation was gradually improving, the state government would require additional resources to restore normalcy in the affected areas.
“Although the situation is improving, the state government will certainly need additional resources to restore normalcy,” Ranjan said, stressing that Bihar should receive all assistance it was entitled to after the central team assessed the damage.
Bihar Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, has also said that a central team led by Union Minister Chouhan would visit the state to assess the flood situation and the damage caused by the floods. While Choudhary did not specify when the team would arrive, it is likely to reach Patna on September 16.
The proposed visit comes as the flood situation remains serious in parts of Bihar. According to official figures, around 49.67 lakh people have been affected across 15 districts of the state. While water levels have started receding in most rivers, including the Ganga, several rivers continue to flow above their respective danger marks at various locations.
The Centre’s assessment is expected to help determine the extent of assistance required by Bihar for relief, rehabilitation and restoration of damaged infrastructure and agricultural areas.
