Centre releases Rs 1000 crore for flood-hit Bihar

Terming Bihar floods as national calamity, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday after undertaking an aerial survey of the flood-hit Bihar announced Rs 1,000-crore in emergency funds and 1.25-lakh tonnes of foodgrains for immediate assistance.

Manmohan Singh and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi undertook an aerial survey of Supaul, Saharsa, Araria and Madhepura districts.

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They were accompanied by State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The flood have affected 15 districts - Muzaffarpur, Patna, Katihar, Nalanda, West Champaran, Khagaria Sheikhpura, Purnia, Saran, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Araria.

Acres of human habitation and farmlands are submerged in the waters of the Kosi river that has caused havoc by breaking its embankments upstream in Nepal and changing course, affecting around 2.5 million people in six districts of the state.

About one lakh marooned people have been evacuated so far, bulk of them by government boats and many on their own. Four helicopters and 200 country boats are working overtime to ferry the men and material to safe destinations.

In order to save lives and evacuate the stranded public in the flood affected areas of Bihar, the Ministry of Railways has directed East Central Railway (Headquarters at Hazipur) to run special relief trains in the notified flood affected areas after assessing the situation.

These special trains will be run free of charge in view of serious unprecedented flood situation in northern parts of Bihar where a number of people have been affected.