With major rivers overflowing due to incessant rainfall, life has come to a stand-still for people in parts of Bihar and Assam.
At least 14 people have died in the current spell of flood in Bihar, which has wreaked havoc in 11 districts with several major rivers -- Ganga, Punpun, Bagmati, Kosi, Burhi Gandak and Adhwara in spate, officials said on Friday.
Over two million people of nearly 300 villages in Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Saharsa, East Champaran, Supaul, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Patna, Katihar and Bhagalpur were affected in the calamities as swollen Kosi, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, originating from Nepal, submerged adjacent areas.
A Madhubani report said the embankments of Bhutahi Balan and Dhaus rivers were breached near Phulparas flooding new areas.
Train services on Ghoghardiha-Nirmali section has been disrupted with flood waters overtopping the track near Kishnopatti village. Road communication between Madhvapur block and sub-divisional headquarter Benipatti has also been snapped.
In Bhagalpur, incessant rains in the past one week led to flooding of several villages and the train services on Bhagalpur-Mandarhill section got disrupted.
Twelve deaths, during the current spate of flood, were reported from Bhagalpur alone, disaster management department sources said. Two others deaths, caused by flood, were reported from Darbhanga and Sitamarhi districts.
A forest ranger Arjun Mandal and five members of his family were among the 12 killed in Bhagalpur. The six were drowned in swollen Ghogha in Sabaur block a few days ago.
Water Resources Development Minister Ramashray Prasad Singh on Friday held a high-level meeting with engineers engaged in flood-fighting operations and instructed them to maintain round-the-clock vigil on the embankments facing threat of breach due to erosion.
"Laxity on the part of engineers will not be tolerated and they will be answerable for any breach in the embankments across the state," the minister told media persons.
In Assam, over six lakh people in 12 districts are reeling under the swirling waters of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
A red alert was sounded in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts, where the army is assisting the civil administration in providing relief and other aid to flood-affected people.
Incessant rainfall over the past few days has resulted in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries crossing the danger level at more than 10 places.
The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Dibrugarh, Nematighat, Sonitpur and Dhubri. Its tributaries Buridihing, Subansiri, Dessang, Dhansiri, Puthimari and Beki had also crossed the danger mark at places like Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Sibsagar, Golaghat and Kamrup.
In Dhemaji, the rising waters of the Gai, Jiadhol and Kumotai rivers inundated vast tracts of land. The district remained cut-off from the rest of Assam for the 15th day on Friday as several bridges were damaged and the National Highway 52 was submerged by flood waters.
Over 75 per cent of Lakhimpur district had been inundated and several embankments were breached by the rising waters of five tributaries of the Brahmaputra -- Subansiri, Singora, Ranganadi, Dikrong and Kakoi.
Nearly three lakh people in over 250 villages in Lakhimpur district have been affected by the floods.
