The discharge of water from the Kosi and Gandak barrages has increased due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the rivers in Nepal. According to the Disaster Management Department, two blocks of Siwan district have been affected due to inflow of water from Gopalganj.
Additional Secretary of Disaster Management Department Ramchandra-du told through video conferencing that currently 40 lakh population of 108 blocks of 14 districts have been affected by the floods. 19 relief camps and one thousand community kitchens are being run in flood affected areas. The standing crop of paddy in 4 lakh 87 thousand hectare area has been destroyed due to floods. According to the Agriculture Department, however, an accurate assessment of the damage will be done only after the flood waters recede.
The Budhi Gandak river has crossed the highest flood point of 2017 at Sakra in Muzaffarpur, and Adwara river in Bishunpur in Darbhanga district. In view of this, the Central Water Commission has issued a red alert in these areas.
The Meteorological Department has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall over the catchment areas of Mahananda and Kosi during the next 24 hours while light to moderate rainfall is expected in the catchment areas of Gandak and Bagmati.
Over 77 thousand population of all the seven blocks of Khagaria district are affected by the floods.