Begusarai: Over 3 lakh people living in diara areas along the Ganga in Begusarai have been severely affected after floodwaters from the surging river entered their homes in recent days. The river has maintained a rising trend in the district. District magistrate Richie Pandey said the river stood at 43.51 metre at noon on Sunday, just below its highest flood level (HFL) of 43.52 metre. As many as 37 panchayats and two wards of Begusarai municipal corporation are reeling under the floodwaters.Relief and rescue operations have begun in the affected areas. “We have already started 85 community kitchens by Sunday morning under various panchayats where more than twenty five thousand flood affected people were served cooked meals. More such kitchens will be started where people have been suffering under the floods,” said the DM.Separate NDRF and SDRF teams are camping in Bachhwara, Teghra, Matihani and Shamho blocks, among the worst affected areas.“To fetch people to and fro from their houses in the flood affected areas altogether 223 boats including 13 government boats have been pressed in. Moreover, the health department has been asked to work in close coordination with the ICDS to help the expecting mothers in the affected areas. Besides, as many as 36 health camps in the affected areas have already started functioning,” he said.Livestock camps are also being set up with fodder for cattle.Meanwhile, Union minister and Begusarai MP Giriraj Singh held a review meeting with officials of Balia sub-division on Sunday to facilitate relief and rescue operations. He had accompanied CM Samrat Choudhary during his visit to the district on Saturday to review relief and rescue measures.
