PATNA: The flood situation in Bihar continued to deteriorate on Tuesday, with more than 34 lakh people affected across 13 districts. Authorities have issued an alert for downstream areas after the Ganga crossed the flood mark at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district, according to news agency PTI.A boat carrying 10 people capsized in the flood-hit Kharik Raghopur area of Bhagalpur on Tuesday morning. All those on board were rescued by personnel of the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), officials said.According to the authorities, floods have so far affected around 34.31 lakh people in 480 gram panchayats spread across 13 districts. These include Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Khagaria and Munger.The number of affected people was around 29.13 lakh on Monday, as overflowing rivers submerged large areas in the affected districts.Bihar received 79.6 mm of rainfall in September so far, which is 31% above the normal level, according to the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre.The Disaster Management Department said the Ganga at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur reached 36.80 metres at 8am on September 8, exceeding the previous Highest Flood Level (HFL) of 36.75 metres recorded on August 17, 2021. However, the department said the water level trend remained stable.Several rivers in the state are currently flowing above danger levels at different locations. These include the Gandak, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Ganga, Punpun, Bagmati and Ghaghra.The Gandak is above the danger mark at Dumriaghat and Hajipur, while the Kosi has crossed the level at Baltara and Kursela. The Budhi Gandak is above the danger mark at Khagaria, while the Ganga has crossed it at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger.“A total of 432 community kitchens are currently being operated in various districts for flood-affected people. In addition, 14 relief camps are also being run, where arrangements have been made for accommodation, food, medical care and other essential services,” the statement said.The department said approximately 1.29 lakh polythene sheets and around 22,900 dry ration packets had been distributed to people affected by the floods.Authorities are operating 1,832 boats for evacuation and transportation. Around 3,142 quintals of animal fodder have also been distributed, according to the Disaster Management Department.The Gandak Barrage recorded a discharge of 1,04,400 cusecs at 10am on Tuesday, with the level remaining stable, the department said. The highest discharge recorded at the barrage this year was 2,24,000 cusecs on July 14.At the Kosi Barrage, the discharge was 1,69,985 cusecs at 10am, with the trend showing a decline. Its highest discharge so far this year was 2,55,425 cusecs, recorded on July 20.For rescue and relief operations, 27 SDRF teams and 10 NDRF teams have been deployed across various districts.
