Bihar govt establishes flood control rooms

Patna, Jun 9 (UNI) With a view to preventing the recurrence of flood fury in north Bihar during monsoon this year, the state government has fully geared up its machineries and set up well-equipped flood control rooms at district level.

Official sources here today informed that keeping in mind last year's damage, both in terms of loss of human lives and damage to property worth several thousand crores of rupees, the state administration had decided to remain 'fully alert' even before the first monsoon shower hit the state, particularly the northern districts bordering Nepal.

Referring to the steps already taken in this regard, the sources said all senior district level officials, including the chief engineers of irrigation department, had been asked to remain present at the flood control rooms round the clock to 'guide and direct' junior level officers to take effective measures like maintaining constant vigilance and undertaking repairs of all river embankments on top priority basis.

All the flood control rooms have also been equipped with latest communication facilities and walkie-talkies have been provided to the field officers and executive engineers to help them remain in direct contact with the departmental top brass, the sources said.

Moreover, they said, from June 15 the control rooms would maintain round-the-clock chart of daily rainfall, the water level in every rain-fed river and other related data to help combat the menace of annual floods.

More than 300 people had died and standing crops and property worth about Rs 2,000 crore were damaged during last year's unprecedented flood fury in nine north Bihar districts due to release of huge amount of water from the reservoirs in Nepal.

UNI ABA DPM AKJ KN1540