Flood situation remains grim in Bihar, Bengal, Northeast; trains cancelled

PATNA/GUWAHATI/KOLKATA: Heavy rains in the last three days triggered flash floods in parts of Bihar, where 41 people have died so far, and inundated large areas in Assam and north Bengal, paralyzing normal life and snapping rail link to the Northeast from the rest of the country.
In Arunachal Pradesh too, the flood situation continued to be grim in several districts with recurring landslides disrupting road traffic.
According to the Bihar Disaster Management Department, nearly two million people have been affected by the floods, including thousands who have been forced to flee their homes.
In the last two days, nearly one million people have been displaced in Kishanganj, Araria, Purnea and Katihar districts.
“Thousands were displaced as their villages got inundated,” a Kishanganj district official said.
Other affected districts are Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul as well as East and West Champaran.
The Bihar State Disaster Management Department has asked people living in low-lying areas to move to higher places as heavy rains continue.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas, told reporters that Araria was the worst effected district and water has entered the district headquarters.
He said heavy rains in Nepal and Bihar in last three days have led to the situation and the state government is carrying out relief operations in flooded areas on a war-footing.
Forty-one people have died in floods in Bihar so far.
The CM thanked the center for prompt response in providing assistance to the state after he telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kumar said he also spoke to Union home minister Rajnath Singh and defense minister Arun Jaitley on the flood situation.
The chief minister said that besides the Army column (around 50 personnel) which was sent to Purnea, four teams of NDRF had arrived in Bihar and six more NDRF teams landed today to assist the state.
The Railway Board has decided to cancel all incoming trains+ from various parts of the country towards northeast region, which were to reach either Katihar or Malda town till 10am of August 16, 2017, North Eastern Frontier Railway chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said in a statement.
Flood situation worsens in north Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed concern over the flood situation in north Bengal and said that the administration has been monitoring the relief and rescue operations round-the-clock.
“We are concerned about the flood-situation across the country. Earlier floods had affected south Bengal. Now north Bengal also affected,” Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle this evening.
Rhino habitats Kaziranga, Pabitora flooded again
The second wave of floods in Assam have submerged rhino habitats Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary forcing the animals there to take shelter on highlands.
KNP divisional forest officer Rohini Ballav Saikia said over 85 per cent+ of the 430 sq km KNP, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under water that came from Difloo river.
PM Modi promises help to flood-hit Assam
With the flood situation in Assam deteriorating+ , Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal on Monday for the second time in as many days and said all possible support is being provided to the state.
The Prime Minister said the central government has been closely and constantly monitoring the flood situation in Assam.
“PM @narendramodi spoke to Assam CM @sarbanandsonwal yesterday & today regarding the flood situation in the state,” the PMO tweeted.
“All possible support is being provided to Assam for overcoming the flood situation prevailing in parts of the state,” Modi said.
Flood situation remains grim in Arunachal
Flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh continued to remain grim as surface communication has been disrupted in various parts of the state.
Majority portion of Anjaw, East Siang and Namsai districts were affected by flood while Papum Pare, East Kameng and West Siang were partly hit.
Remote Anjaw district has been cut off from the rest of the state for seven days as the main road to the district from Lohit remained blocked at several places following landslides triggered by incessant rains, an official report said.

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