PATNA: More than 400,000 people in Bihar face the risk of flooding after a landslide that killed at least nine people in neighbouring Nepal, a government official said on Sunday, as thousands were being evacuated. The landslide triggered by heavy rains has left scores of people missing and has created a mud dam blocking the Sunkoshi river, which runs into Bihar as the Kosi river.
The fear is that as Nepal tries to blast its way through the landslide to clear it, it will unleash a torrent of water across densely populated Bihar; a 10-metre-high wall of water is expected to sweep down the river from Nepal. However, four controlled blasts have been caused at the spot so far which has helped release some of the accumulated but authorities are vigilant about any further development.
Around 425,000 people could be affected by the floods and authorities have already evacuated 44,000 across seven districts of Bihar, said Ashok Kumar, an officer at the state’s disaster management unit.”We are shifting people from the area where the water is expected to reach,” Mr Kumar said. He added that 117 relief camps have been set up in the region so far.Over one lakh people are expected to be evacuated by today evening.
Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth has chaired three meetings of the National Crisis Management Committee to review the situation. The Centre has assured Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of every possible help, said Home Minister Rajnath Singh.Six columns of the Indian Army are being moved to the possible area of impact. A C-17 military aircraft with medical teams is also on its way. A team of six experts have reached Nepal to assess the situation.
Thirteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF and four teams of the State Disaster Response Force or SDRF have been pressed into service. Seven more NDRF teams will join tomorrow to assist in relief operations.Air Force personnel and Navy’s diving teams have also been kept on stand-by.
The state government, meanwhile, has put its personnel on alert in the northern districts and instructed them to keep all barrage gates open so that the water running downstream flows without any disruption.Sources in the government say it is confident that with these measures it will manage to avert a big crisis. A close watch is being kept on the situation.

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