Flood waters recede in Bihar, death toll rises to 97

Patna: The water of level of Punpun and Ganga rivers in Bihar continued to recede Sunday. However, with the water receding, bodies of missing persons were recovered and the death toll rose to 97 from 73 in 15 flood-affected districts of the state, officials said.

Other rivers including the Burhi Gandak, Kamala Balan, Baghmati, Mahananda are also showing a declining trend in water level, the officials informed.

Punpun river’s water level is receding at the rate of three centimetre per hour at Sripalpur, Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi told reporters.

The number of dengue cases, too, has seen a sharp rise post the heavy downpour in the state capital, a release issued by the Bihar Health Department said.

A total of 409 cases of the vector-borne disease were reported in Patna between January to September 27, it said, adding the number jumped to 640 till October 5.

In order to check the spread of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, sprinkling of larvicide temephos and fogging of insecticide malathion are underway in the worst-affected districts, the release further stated.

Though water has been drained out from most parts of Pataliputra and Kankerbagh areas, the process is still underway with the help of high-power pumps in places like Rajendra Nagar, in the Bihar capital.

The state government will organise special health camps October 10, 11 and 12 at the Patna Medical College & Hospital and Nalanda Medical College & Hospital for carrying out free tests for dengue, health officials informed.

PTI