Bihar and UP on high alert after Nepal disaster

New Delhi: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were on high alert on Wednesday after several districts in Nepal were devastated by flash floods, with authorities initiating emergency measures, including evacuating people from vulnerable areas.

Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary and UP CM Yogi Adityanath, assuring all possible assistance from the Centre to deal with any potential crisis, officials said.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is being mobilised to deal with any emergency. Sashastra Seema Bal has also alerted all its formations along the India-Nepal border and 18 teams have been deployed to launch relief and rescue operations.


In Bihar, special vigilance has been ordered in West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, besides other vulnerable districts such as Sitamarhi and Sheohar. Authorities have opened all 36 gates of a barrage on the Gandak river to help control the situation, state officials said. In view of the anticipated floods in the Gandak river due to the flash flood incident in Nepal, NDRF is on high alert, the force said in a statement.

Bihar deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary said around 86,000 cusecs of water was discharged from the Gandak Barrage at Valmikinagar around noon. The Bihar CM also reviewed the situation. Two NDRF teams have been dispatched for deployment in West Champaran and Muzaffarpur. A total nine teams could be deployed in Bihar.

In UP, Adityanath directed Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts to take all measures to deal with any potential emergency. In Maharajganj, the administration has sounded an alert and ordered round-the-clock monitoring of the Gandak river. In Kushinagar, the administration has ordered evacuation from Marchahwa, Shivpur and other villages, urging residents to move to safer locations. One additional NDRF team has been deployed there and additional teams are on standby.

(With PTI Inputs)