Centre provides assistance to flood-hit Bihar

New Delhi, Aug 29 (UNI) The Centre is monitoring the flood situation in Bihar and providing all possible assistance to the state Government in dealing with the situation, including releasing Rs 1000 crore from Calamity Contingency Fund, deploying the army, providing helicopters and boats.

Four Army columns have been deployed in the areas flooded with water following breach in embankment and changing of course by Kosi river while four additional columns are being deployed now, a home ministry release said here. It has also provided five helicopters, 118 boats and deployed 624 National Disaster Relief Force personnel.

About 1.25 lakh MT of foodgrains has been allocated to the State while 3732 tents and 1 lakh water bottles have been sent since yesterday. More tents and boats are being organised by the Centre, The release added.

The Ministry of Health is organising supply of two crore Halogen tablets. The National Crisis Management Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary reviewed the flood situation in Bihar today. On the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Relief Commissioners of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa have instructed the concerned District Magistrates of the districts neighbouring Bihar to provide boats as per the requirement of the State Govt.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Minister for Chemicals&Fertilizers Ramvilas Paswan made an aerial survey and reviewed the flood situation yesterday. As announced by the Prime Minister, an amount of Rs.1000 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund was released by the Centre today to the flood-hit state.

Ministry of Railways have issued sanction for transportation of relief material/fodder by rail from any station to notified flood affected districts of Bihar for distribution in the affected areas.

Officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Control Room of the Ministry are in constant touch with the State Government and monitoring the situation round the clock, the release stated.

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