2017 Bihar flood

Last updated
2017 North Bihar Flood
Kishanganj 2017 north bihar flood.jpg
DateAugust 2017
Location North Bihar, India
Deaths514 people

2017 Bihar floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar causing death of 514 people. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] 2,371 panchayats (settlement councils) under 187 blocks of 19 districts of Northern Bihar have been affected in the flood. [8] Around 1.71 crore (17.1 million) people were hit by the floods. [9] [10] [11] [12] Over 8.5 lakhs of people have lost their homes, with Araria district alone accounting for 2.2 lakh homeless people. [13] 2017 Flood has broken 9-Year record of deaths In Bihar. [14] [15] Bihar is India's most flood-prone State, with 76% of the population in the North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation. [16] Devastating flood was caused due to excess heavy rainfall in monsoon season.

Contents

Events

This flood was result of sudden increase in water discharge due to torrential rain in the foothill of the Himalayas in Nepal and adjoining areas in Bihar between August 12 and 20 led to flash flood in various rivers [17] Gandak, Burhi Gandak and Bagmati, Kamla, Kosi and Mahananda — due to heavy rain in the catchment areas of the major rivers of North Bihar in Nepal. [18]

The floods have affected in 19 districts of North Bihar- Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia, Katihar, Eastern Champaran, Western Champaran, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Sitamadhi, Shivar, Samastipur, Gopalganj, Saran, Siwan, Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa and Khagaria. [19] The casualties in four districts of Purnia division (Araria Katihar, Kishanganj and Purnia) stands at 160 deaths. [20] Araria district accounted for 95 deaths alone, [21] [22] followed by Sitamarhi (43), West Champaran (36), Katihar (40), East Champaran (19) while 25 have died in Madhubani, Supaul (13) and Madhepura (15). 24 deaths were reported in Kishanganj, while Darbhanga accounted for 19 deaths, Purnea (9), Gopalganj (9), Sheohar (4), Muzaffarpur (7), Samastipur (1) and Saharsa (4) registered four deaths each while Khagaria and Saran accounted for 13 deaths each. No deaths were reported from Siwan. Bihar government records put animal deaths in the State at 192; it announced compensation of ₹30,000 for the loss of every milch cow and buffalo and ₹3,000 for a goat. [23]

The swollen Gandak engulfed about 168 villages and 44 panchayats under 8 blocks of Saran district- Panapur, Taraiya, Parsa, Maker, Dariapur, Amnour, Marhoura and Masrakh. [24] [25] [26]

East Central Railway (ECR) division suffers Rs 47 crore (7.3 million USD) loss due to floods in Bihar, in which Rs 26.60 crore (4.1 million USD) has been lost to infrastructure damage of railway property, while more than Rs 20 crore (3.1 million USD) has been lost in passenger revenue due to cancellation of trains. [27] [28]

Relief operation

On 26 August 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 500 crore (78 million USD) central assistance for flood hit areas of Bihar and ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased from the PM Relief Fund,

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi party donated over ₹ 5 crores aid to the victims in August 2017 and sent medicines worth Rs 50 lakh and a medical team to Bihar's flood-affected region

after he conducted an aerial survey of the four districts of Purnia division, including Araria district. [29]  The Centre would finally sanction more funds for flood relief measures based on the report submitted by the central team.[ citation needed ] Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Jharkhand donated Rs 5 crore each to Bihar flood relief fund. [30]  [31]  [32]  On 29 August 2017, Bihar cabinet sanctioned Rs 1,935 crore under Bihar Contingency Fund for relief and restoration work in the flood-hit districts in the state: [33] 

Bihar cabinet sanctioned the amount when the toll was 400. Rs 6,000 will be given as gratuitous relief to every flood-affected person. The money would be deposited in the beneficiaries' bank accounts. [34] Aamir Khan donated Rs 25 lakh to the Bihar Chief Minister’s Relief fund for a smoother relief operations for Bihar floods victims. [35] Saran district administration distributed Rs 48 lakh as ex gratia to the kin of 12 deceased in the floods. [26]

Bihar Government sought a central assistance of Rs 7,636.51 crore for the post-flood repair and restoration work, which included Rs 1091.34 crore for crop compensation, a sum of Rs 2,900 crore has been sought to repair the 512 km damaged roads, among others. In October 2017, officials of an inter-ministerial team of the Centre Government held discussions in Bihar for assessing the damages caused by the floods in the state. [36]

NGOs Response

Related Research Articles

Araria is a city and a municipality that is the headquarters of Araria district in the Indian state of Bihar. Araria is situated in the northern part of Bihar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Central Railway zone</span> Indian railway zone

The East Central Railway is one of the 19 railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Hajipur and comprises Sonpur, Samastipur, Danapur, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and Dhanbad divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Araria district</span> District of Bihar in India

Araria district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. Araria district is a part of Purnia division. The district occupies an area of 2,830 km2 (1,090 sq mi). Araria town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Distance from Nepal border is only about 8 km from Forbesganj head quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burhi Gandak River</span> River in India

The Burhi Gandak River is a tributary of the Ganges. The Burhi (“Old”) Gandak flows parallel to and east of the Gandak River in an old channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purnia division</span> Administrative Division in Bihar, India

Purnia division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India. Purnia is the administrative headquarters of the division. The division consists of Purnia district, Katihar district, Araria district, and Kishanganj district. It was established in 1990. It is also known as Seemanchal. It is a part of the Kosi—Seemanchal subregion of the cultural Mithila region.

The 2008 Indian floods were a series of floods in various states of India during the 2008 monsoon season. The floods mostly affected the western regions of Maharashtra state and Andhra Pradesh as well as northern Bihar. In India, the monsoon season generally lasts from June to September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Bihar</span>

Bihar is located in the eastern region of India, between latitudes 24°20'10"N and 27°31'15"N and longitudes 83°19'50"E and 88°17'40"E. It is an entirely land–locked state, in a subtropical region of the temperate zone. Bihar lies between the humid West Bengal in the east and the sub humid Uttar Pradesh in the west, which provides it with a transitional position in respect of climate, economy and culture. It is bounded by Nepal in the north and by Jharkhand in the south. Bihar plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east. Bihar's land has average elevation above sea level of 173 feet.

The 2007 Bihar flood occurred in August 2007 in the east Indian state of Bihar. It was described by the United Nations as the worst flood in the living memory of Bihar. Although annual floods are common in Bihar, heavier than usual rainfall during the monsoon season that year led to increasing water levels. By 3 August, the estimated death toll was 41 people, and 48 schoolgirls were marooned in a school in the Darbhanga district. By 8 August, the flooding had impacted an estimated 10 million people in Bihar. Army helicopters delivered food packets to residents, and 180 relief camps were established. By 10 August, aid workers in Bihar reported a dramatic increase in people with diarrhea and by 11 August, flood-related deaths were still occurring. The total number of deaths recorded in the 2007 Bihar floods was more than 1,300, the highest death toll in the state since the 1987 Bihar floods, in which more than 2,500 deaths were reported.

The 2004 Bihar flood was one of the worst floods in Bihar, India in a decade. 885 people and 3272 animals had lost their lives and nearly 21.299 million human were affected. 20 districts of Bihar were affected. An alarming rise in water level due to heavy rains inundated fresh areas in Bhagalpur district, Begusarai district, Katihar district, Darbhanga district, Samastipur district and Khagaria district. According to the Central Water Commission Bagmati, Budhi Gandak, Kamla Balan, Adhwara, Kosi and Mahananda rivers were flowing above the red mark at various places, while the Ganges crossed the danger mark for the first time at Farakka Barrage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floods in Bihar</span>

Bihar is India's most flood-prone state, with 76% of the population of North Bihar living under the recurring threat of devastating flooding. Bihar makes up 16.5% of India's flood-affected area and contains 22.1% of India's flood-affected population. About 73.06% of Bihar's geographical area, 68,800 square kilometres (26,600 sq mi) out of 94,160 square kilometres (36,360 sq mi), is affected. Each year, floods kill many and damage livestock and other assets worth millions. In total, floods have claimed 9,500 lives since the government started publishing figures in 1979. North Bihar districts are vulnerable to at least five major flood-causing rivers during monsoon – the Mahananda, Koshi, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, and Gandak rivers – which originate in Nepal. Some South Bihar districts have also become vulnerable to floods, from the Son, Punpun, and Phalgu rivers. The 2013 flood affected over 5.9 million people in 3,768 villages in 20 districts in the state. The 2017 flood affected 19 districts in North Bihar, killing 514 people and affecting over 17 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation</span> Dairy cooperative in India

The Bihar State Milk Co-Operative Federation Ltd is a state government cooperative under the ownership of Ministry of Cooperation, Government of Bihar, India. It was established in 1983 as a state government cooperative of the Government of Bihar. It markets its products under the label "Sudha Dairy". The co-operative facilitates the procurement, processing, and marketing of dairy products. It provides education to the unions on efficient dairy processing, and assists them with animal care including artificial insemination, vaccination, and feeding.

Most of the languages of Bihar, the third most populous state of India, belong to the Bihari subgroup of the Indo-Aryan family. Chief among them are Bhojpuri, spoken in the west of the state, Maithili in the north, Magahi in center around capital Patna. Maithili has official recognition under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The official language of Bihar is Modern Standard Hindi, with Standard Urdu serving as a second official language in 15 districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barauni–Katihar section</span> Railway section in Bihar

The Barauni–Katihar, Saharsa and Purnia sections of the Barauni–Guwahati line connects Barauni, Saharsa, Purnia and Katihar in the Indian state of Bihar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bihar</span> Geographic Region in Bihar, India

North Bihar is a term used for the region of Bihar, India, which lies north of the Ganga river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank</span> Italian regional rural bank

Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank is a regional rural bank (RRB) in the State of Bihar, India. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is one of the largest regional rural banks in India in terms of branch network, staff strength and area of operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited</span> Public company in Bihar, India

North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited is a public sector undertaking (PSU) controlled by the Government of Bihar. It was formed on 1 November 2012 under section 14 of the Electricity Act of 2003, and is the successor to the erstwhile Bihar State Electricity Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purnea University</span> State University in Bihar

Purnea University is a collegiate public state university located in Purnia, Bihar, India. It has jurisdiction over Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar districts. It was established by an act of State Legislature in 2018. As a collegiate university, its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and affiliated colleges.

The 2019 Bihar floods affected 13 districts of North Bihar, India, causing 130 deaths by the end of July. 1269 panchayats under 92 blocks of 13 districts of Northern Bihar were severely affected in the flood. Around 88.46 lakhs people were affected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Bihar</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Bihar, India

The first COVID-19 case in the Indian state of Bihar was reported in Munger on 22 March 2020, a 38-year-old tested positive for COVID-19, he was also the first victim. He had travel history to Qatar. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has confirmed a total of 62,031 cases as of 4 August 2020, including 20,922 active cases, 349 deaths and 40,760 recoveries. The virus has spread in 38 districts of the state, of which Patna district has the highest number of cases.

References

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