The toll in Bihar's devastating floods rose to 203 on Thursday with 25 more deaths reported from Muzaffarpur and 18 from Sitamarhi in the last 48 hours.

Floods: The Complete Coverage

Over 23 million people have been affected by floods in 18 north Bihar districts.

Sitamarhi at 49 has accounted for the highest number of deaths, followed by Samastipur, 47.

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However, in some of the worst affected parts of the state, the flood waters have begun to recede.

The state government's disaster management department said the overall picture is showing improvement, though the situation remains grim in Khagaria, Madhubani, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and East Champaran districts.

A Central Water Commission bulletin said all major rivers have shown a marked fall in water levels.

The disaster management department is distributing bleaching powder, ORS packets and halogen tablets is areas where the flood waters have receded.