Kosi floods claim 40 lives, leaves 1 mn marooned

Patna, Aug 27: Kosi river floods in Bihar has claimed 40 lives leaving millions marooned as on Wednesday, Aug 27. Kosi river breached its banks upstream in Nepal flooding submerging various villages and towns in the floods. Flood water on Tuesday, Aug 26 entered some areas abandoning one million people in Supaul, Araria and Madhepura districts.

The breach in the Kosi embankment near Kusaha in Nepal had forced the river to change its course, for the first time since the 1950s.
Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar commented the situation as 'a catastrophe'.

Many of the marooned people are without food and though attempts have been made by the Government to drop food supplies and medicines by air, many marooned people are complaining of inadequate Government help. Some of the people are also scared of the epidemic diseases that can occur in the days ahead.

"This time, the flood has been caused by a two km breach in the embankment of river Kosi. The government has initiated moves to plug it. The authorities are working to prevent further widening of the breach and channels would be dug to direct the water back to the main river bed," Ajay Naik, principal secretary in the water resources department, said.

Some of the officials confirmed that the Hindustan Steel Construction Ltd company has been given the task to restore flow of the Kosi along its original course.

"The Nepal government is helping the Bihar government to plug the breach," Naik added.

Bihar Disaster Management Minister Nitish Mishra said that one million people in three districts had to be evacuated to safer places soon. "Thousands have been evacuated in the three districts and taken to relief camps. But more relief camps had to be set up", said Nitish Mishra.

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