Patna: The flood situation in Bihar’s 12 basin districts of the Ganga gained alarming proportions on Saturday, as the river crossed the highest flood level (HFL) mark of 50.52 metres at Gandhi Ghat in Patna and stood at 50.58 metres, setting a new HFL mark there. The HFL mark has been crossed for the first time since 2016.Over 10 lakh people in 201 panchayats have been affected by floodwaters of the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati and Sone rivers in the state. Water levels in all rivers except the Ganga are either falling or steady.The alarm bells rang at the water resources department headquarters by 10am, when the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat stood at 50.53 metres, crossing the HFL mark of 50.52 metres. By 3pm, the level had reached 50.57 metres with water flowing 1.97 metres above the danger level.The disaster management department (DMD) said the river was also flowing above its HFL mark at Pandarak, around 90km downstream from Patna.The WRD engineer-in-chief sounded a high alert for administrations of 12 districts, asking them to remain extra vigilant in their diara areas.“Since setting up of the new HFL mark of the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat is possible, the pressure of the floodwaters would be high all along the downstream, specially in the diara areas. Accordingly, it is necessary to maintain extra vigil,” he said in an express message sent to the DMs and SPs of all the 12 districts, adding, “Taking into account the flood disaster, all necessary precautionary steps be taken and those living in villages along the river be asked to shift to safer places. Besides, constant patrolling by the district level squads, already formed, be conducted in the flood hit areas.”The rising floodwaters have engulfed newer areas, triggering demands for relief. A woman in a village on the outskirts of Fatuha described the plight of families who had remained in their homes.“All around there is only water, even inside our houses, and we cannot even cook our meals, since the kutcha (earthen) oven is submerged in water. We sit and sleep on cots whose legs stand in water. Our children have gone to the neighborhood house for meals,” she said.The DMD said 50 health camps, 36 animal health camps and 38 community kitchens were operating in the affected districts, with 1.20 lakh people having taken meals at the kitchens. Fourteen NDRF and SDRF teams were deployed for rescue operations.BJP national president Nitin Nabin said, “The flood situation has become grim in the basin of the river Ganga, whose water has continued to rise. At some places, the highest flood level (HFL) has been crossed, and at other places the river water is above the danger level.”WRD minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the situation would improve only after 24 hours, as discharge from the Indrapuri barrage on the Sone had started falling.
