Did CM Nitish Kumar Conduct an Aerial Survey of Bihar's Flood-Affected Areas?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- CM Nitish Kumar conducted an aerial survey over flood-hit areas.
- Over 1.7 million people affected across 24 districts.
- Major rivers like the Ganga and Kosi have surpassed danger levels.
- Government is ramping up relief efforts and evacuations.
- Met Department warns of additional rainfall.
Patna, Aug 14 (NationPress) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar undertook an aerial inspection of the flood-impacted zones in Bihar on Thursday, directing officials to accelerate relief and rescue operations as water levels in significant rivers, including the Ganga and Kosi, surpassed critical thresholds.
Accompanied by Water Resources Minister Vijay Chaudhary and senior officials, the CM surveyed the most severely affected districts such as Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Begusarai, and Khagaria.
This aerial survey was delayed by a day due to adverse weather conditions that prevented his helicopter from taking off on August 13.
The Water Resources Department reported that over 1.7 million people have been impacted across 24 districts, under both 'Yellow' and 'Orange' alerts.
Ten rivers, including the Ganga, are currently overflowing, inundating low-lying regions and displacing thousands.
Nitish Kumar has been conducting regular meetings with officials at his residence to keep a close watch on the situation, pushing for prompt action to ensure timely evacuations, distribution of relief supplies, and medical assistance.
“The government is striving to alleviate public suffering,” he reassured.
The India Meteorological Department has cautioned about additional rainfall in the upcoming days, raising concerns about deteriorating conditions.
The Meteorological Centre in Patna has predicted light to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning over the next three to four days throughout Bihar, as rivers like the Ganga, Kosi, and Bagmati approach danger levels in various locations.
In the last 24 hours, Khagaria district was the hardest hit, recording 206 mm of rainfall. Other areas like Mansi in Khagaria received 188.6 mm, Parsa in Saran saw 157.4 mm, and Taibpur in Kishanganj registered 135.2 mm. Raniganj in Araria had 122.4 mm, while Purnea, Rohtas, and Begusarai experienced 76–98 mm of rain, exacerbating river levels.
Intermittent showers were noted throughout Patna on Wednesday, with a total of 29.1 mm recorded.
Reports of waterlogging surfaced in Kankarbagh, Patna Junction, Danapur, and Patna City.
The city anticipates light to moderate rainfall along with thundershowers in the next 24 hours.
The Met Department has issued a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in northern districts, including Kishanganj, Araria, and Supaul, along with alerts for winds reaching 30–40 km/h in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, and other southern districts. Additionally, Kishanganj reported wind speeds of 33 km/h.