With the submergence of thousands of villages in nine districts in Bihar appearing inevitable due to an alarming rise in the water levels of the Sone and the Ganga, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday conducted an aerial survey to oversee the preparations for evacuation and relief distribution.

Thirty people died in the last three days as the Ganga river flooded over half a dozen districts including Bhagalpur, Purnea and Katihar, with 10 deaths in Bhagalpur alone. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who conducted an aerial survey of the 14 districts affected, said that over 500 relief camps had started functioning, with 55 such camps in Bhagalpur. Besides Ganga, water level has also risen in Kosi, Kamla and Gandak. West Champaran, Vaishali and Begusarai reported four deaths each whereas Saharsa reported three deaths because of floods.

More than 70,000 families are facing the wrath of the turbulent Ganga in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.
On Sunday afternoon, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who conducted an aerial survey of the areas ravaged by the river, however, told journalists here that “flood waters were receding” and that no major embankment had been breached.

Shoumojit Banerjee

A sudden, violent tropical storm mauled east Bihar late on Tuesday night, killing 77 people, besides rendering thousands homeless.

Alto gether 18 children were born blind in the arsenic affected blocks of Bhojpur district during the past three months, Bihar health minis- ter Nand Kishore Yadav confirmed on Wednesday.

The cause of the blindness was not yet known, but health department officials were in touch with ophthal- mologists, he said.

PATNA: Altogether 18 children were born blind in the arsenic affected blocks of Bhojpur district during the past three months, Bihar Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav confirmed.

The cause of the blindness was not yet known, but health department officials were in touch with ophthalmologists, he said.

Shoumojit Banerjee

Katihar (BIHAR):

Shoumojit Banerjee

PATNA: Bihar

Shoumojit Banerjee

Patna: After the Bagmati debacle which afflicted more than a lakh people three weeks ago, it was now the turn of the Mahanada to breach its embankment. There were fears of a severe breach since Wednesday night as the residual part of spur no. 688 at Bholamari under the Amdabad block in Katihar district has been washed away completely.