Kosi: People who took shelter because of flood threat return home

Patna: Most of the people who had taken shelter in the relief camps in Supaul, Madhepura and Saharsa district of Bihar today returned to their villages following the withdrawal of flash flood alert in the Kosi river by the state government yesterday.

“The 1.14 lakh people stationed in relief camps in the three most vulnerable districts - Supaul, Madhepura and Saharsa have returned to their villages. We have asked them to remain cautious and evacuate their villages quickly if any such need arises again,” Disaster Management Department (DMD) Special Secretary Anirudh Kumar told PTI.

Kumar said the five Army columns deployed in the three districts will be pulled back tomorrow but 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and four teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) will remain stationed in the Kosi region of Bihar for a few more days.

The danger of sudden release of 10 million cubic metres of water trapped in Bhote Kosi after a landslide at Jure in Sindhupalchok district of Nepal diminished further after experts calculated that the water will spread only 20 km downstream.

“The officials from India and Nepal are still working there. They have calculated that even if the entire trapped water is discharged it will affect only 20 km downstream. The flow will normalise after that,” said Kumar.

The Bhote Kosi, a major tributary of Kosi River was blocked in Nepal around 120 km north of Kathmandu on Friday after a massive landslide cut loose huge portions mountains, which fell on the main course of the river and blocked its way.

The Bihar government had issued a high alert on Saturday and ordered evacuation of the low-lying areas close to Kosi saying a 10-metre high wall of water was expected to sweep down the river after the dammed Bhote Kosi water in Nepal was freed.

The DMD Special Secretary added that water is flowing out smoothly from the three holes blasted in landslide debris, after they were widened by the Nepalese officials.

PTI