Bihar floods: Kosi breaches Jankinagar canal in Purnia

Patna, Aug 31 : Adding vows to the already devastated Bihar flood victims, the swollen Kosi River breached its embankments of the Jankinagar Branch Canal (JBC) in Purnia district on Saturday night.

With reported discharge of around 2.5 lakh cusec of water into the river from Nepal, the Kosi broke through its eastern embankment at Jankinagar.

According to official sources, the flood water was fast submerging villages in Dharhara Kothi, Dhamdaha and Bhavanipur blocks of the district.

Thousands of people are cut off and railways and roads are completely blocked. People have abandoned their homes to move to safer places and makeshift relief camps are operational.

The JBC canal carries water of the Kosi from Birpur in worst-affected Supaul district to Rupauli in Purnia where it merges in the main course of the swollen river once again.

Meanwhile, reports said Madhepura town was under six feet deep roiling waters.

More than two million people were affected by the deluge in four districts with over 3.5 lakh people already evacuated. Three Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers were pressed for airdropping, sources said.

According to Disaster Management Department sources, army jawans continued to assist in massive evacuation and relief efforts, as over 1.12 lakh people were lodged in 162 relief camps set up by the State Government and many more in those run by NGOs.

So far about 85 people have been killed and over two million are displaced by floodwaters that have smashed houses and destroyed around 100,000 hectares of farmland by the floods caused by the breach in the east Kosi embankment in Nepal on August 18.

The dead toll is expected to rise as the flood has brought along with it various diseases. Cases of diarrhoea were reported from many relief camps in the state.

ANI