New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): Purnia MP Pappu Yadav on Wednesday raised concerns over the worsening flood situation in Bihar, claiming that around 55 lakh people across 22 districts are facing difficulties due to the floods.
Yadav said the crisis has affected people across economic sections, with the lower middle class, middle class and poor all struggling to cope with the situation. He said the flood-affected belt stretches from Buxar to Manihari, while several parts of Bhagalpur, Patna, Begusarai and Munger are also partially inundated.
Describing the situation in Patna as particularly serious, Yadav said only around 4-5 km of highland could be seen in the city. He said people were facing difficult conditions at various ghats, where women were sleeping on floors while animals remained surrounded by floodwater.
“Whichever ghat you go, you’ll find women sleeping on floors, animals are in water, fodder has become wet,” Yadav said, highlighting the difficulties being faced by people who have been displaced or forced to stay in flood-hit areas.
He also raised concerns over the quality of drinking water being supplied to affected people. Yadav alleged that the water being provided through tankers was of such poor quality that politicians themselves would not drink it.
The Congress leader further claimed that essential supplies were becoming difficult to access in several flood-hit areas. According to him, children were not getting milk, medicines were unavailable, and some places were facing a complete lack of electricity.
"The water in the tanker is so bad that none of the politicians would drink it. Children are not getting milk, medicines are unavailable," he added.
“There isn’t a single candle. There’s no electricity,” Yadav said, pointing to the problems faced by people in areas where power supply has been disrupted.
He also highlighted the impact of the floods on livestock and fodder. With animals standing in floodwater and fodder becoming wet, the crisis has extended beyond immediate shelter and food requirements, he said.
Yadav’s remarks come as floodwaters have affected large parts of Bihar, with residents in several areas facing disruption to daily life and access to basic necessities.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday detailed the government's response to intense flooding caused by sudden water surges upstream in Nepal and Tibet.
Emphasising Bihar's geographical vulnerability as a lower riparian state, Chief Minister Choudhary highlighted both the immediate emergency measures deployed to protect lower riparian districts and long-term infrastructural DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) focused on river interlinking and dam construction.
Speaking to ANI, Choudhary outlined immediate rescue operations and long-term river infrastructure projects designed to mitigate recurring inundations.
"Look, there are continuous flood risks, and two major rivers are the primary source of flooding. There are also other rivers such as the Budhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala, and Mahananda. The situation we recently observed in Nepal involved a sudden flood surge that directly impacted Bihar," he said.
The Bihar CM further highlighted that the State authorities deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams to evacuate approximately 20,000 residents stranded in high-risk riverbed areas, relocating them to safer grounds and operating community kitchens for two to three days to supply essential meals to displaced populations until water levels stabilised.
"The first step we took was deploying NDRF and SDRF teams to evacuate people from the riverbed areas. We evacuated approximately 20,000 people who were located along the riverbeds, brought them to safer locations near the forest areas, and operated community kitchens for two to three days. The situation has gradually settled down since," he added. (ANI)
Pappu Yadav raises alarm over Bihar floods, says 55 lakh people affected
