Imminent threat of flood in Kosi controlled: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 5: The looming threat of flood in river Kosi has been controlled because of joint efforts of disaster management authorities of India and Nepal, Government told Lok Sabha.

"India has taken certain steps. The recent imminent threat of Kosi river flood, which we are witnessing, has been controlled so far because we have some understanding with Nepal," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said.

The Nepal Government, he said, has taken certain steps and they have blasted low intensity detonators and the river water has been released slowly so that the impact of flood on Bihar and subsequently on "our" remaining territory will be mitigated.

"So, we are constantly in touch with the authorities in Nepal," Rijiju said. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the Centre has identified 9 districts which could be affected because of Kosi floods and 163 camps has been set up to provide assistance. Singh said teams of 15 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) people and four from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have reached the spot.

He further said 1.43 lakh people have been brought from danger zones to camps by these teams. The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, met yesterday to review the situation of the impending rise in water level in Kosi due to a landslide and blockade upstream in Nepal.

PTI