Patna: Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in north Bihar, his second such inspection in three days, and directed officials to keep community kitchens running until displaced people return home and conditions are fully normal.Choudhary said the administration had been instructed to speed up rescue and relief operations and ensure payment of financial assistance of Rs 7,000 to every flood-affected family before Durga Puja.He said the state was facing a grave flood situation because of water flowing in from the Terai region of Nepal. Surveys of the Kosi and Mahananda rivers are being conducted to support a comprehensive study of recurring floods and work towards a permanent solution, he added.According to a communique from the Chief Minister’s Office, Choudhary surveyed Bagaha in West Champaran district, Bathna in Bairia block, Machchhargaon in Yogapatti block, and Shivrajpur, Bankatwa and adjoining affected areas in Nautan block. He also inspected from the air the breached embankment in Haijalpur panchayat under Maker block in Saran district. During the flight from Patna to West Champaran, he assessed river water levels and inundated settlements along the route.After the survey, Choudhary visited the flood relief camp at the PM Shri Rajkiyakrit Plus Two Uchch Vidyalaya campus in Bathna, Bairia block in West Champaran. He inspected the community kitchen, medical camp, drinking water supply, toilets, animal relief camp, animal shed, and separate housing arrangements for women and men.The CM served food to people at the community kitchen and visited a temporary Anganwadi child camp, where he interacted with children about their studies and facilities. He checked the stock of medicines and treatment arrangements at the medical camp, met flood-affected residents staying at the relief camp, heard their problems and needs, and directed officials to resolve them promptly.Choudhary later chaired a review meeting on relief and rescue operations at the district-level control room located on the same school campus. West Champaran district magistrate Taranjot Singh briefed him through a district map on affected areas, embankment conditions, relief and medical camps, and ongoing rescue efforts.During the review, Choudhary said relief work was under way at every level to restore normalcy in flood-hit areas, and water levels were likely to recede in the next two to three days.
