Nitish Kumar also directed officials to remain prepared for carrying out rescue and relief operations.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday asked the disaster management department officials and district magistrates to remain alert for a possible flood situation in view of heavy rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal and Gandak river.
The flood situation could arise due to heavy rainfall in West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran districts, an official release said.
It noted that the water level and discharge from river Gandak are expected to increase in view of heavy rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal and Gandak river. The chief minister instructed the disaster management department officials and the district magistrates (DMs) concerned to ensure evacuation of people living in low lying areas of Gandak river discharge, to higher and safer places, the release said.
He also directed the officials to remain prepared for carrying out rescue and relief operations, it said while asking them to extend assistance to those evacuated. All arrangements be ensured for them as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), he said, while making it clear that separate relief centres should be set up for people evacuated from any containment zone.
Such people should be kept separately from the general population affected by floods, he added.
He also asked officials to ensure that people must maintain social distancing and wear face masks at the relief centres.
Arrangement of fodder in adequate quantity be made for cattle in areas from where people are being evacuated, the CM said.
Both NDRF and SDRF teams, which have been deployed in various districts, should be kept in alert mode so that they can move quickly in the event of any adverse situation, Kumar said, adding that engineers of water resources department should also remain prepared in order to protect embankments.
Meanwhile, the water resources department said in a bulletin that all its embankments are safe. The bulletin, however, did not mention loss of any human life and cattle due to floods.
River Ganga is flowing below danger mark at all locations, including two places in Patna, that is, Gandhi Ghat and Digha from where the water resources department collects the report.
However, Baghmati river is flowing above danger mark at Dhenga, Sonakhan, Dubbadhar, Kataunjha in Sitamarhi district, Beinbad in Muzaffarpur and Hayaghat in Darbhanga district, the bulletin said.
Kamlabalan river is flowing above red mark at two places of Jainagar and Jhanjharpur rail bridge in Madhubani, while Burhi Gandak is above danger mark at Rosera rail bridge in Samastipur district.
Mahananda river is flowing above danger level at two places of Taiyabpur in Kishanganj and Dhangaraghat in Purnea, while river Khiroi is flowing above danger level at Kamtaul and Ekmighat in Darbhanga district, it said.