By IANS
Patna : Large parts of Bihar were faced with food and drinking water scarcity in one of the worst floods in 30 years that has cut off several towns, destroyed hundreds of houses and killed at least 20 people.
Many people were being forced to drink contaminated water and go without food in the hope of help reaching them soon, residents and relief workers said.
Nearly five million people have been affected in over 2,000 villages across Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, Supaul, Madhubani, Patna and Bhagalpur districts, officials said.
Towns including Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Madhubani were cut off due to severe flooding. Dozens of bridges, embankments and roads have been damaged and hundreds of houses, especially in rural areas, have collapsed.
Thousands of displaced people have taken shelter in schools, temples and mosques.
Scarcity of food items including vegetables, milk and bread was reported from several areas and prices of essential goods had touched an all-time high, residents said, blaming it on black-marketing.
Faced with a rapidly worsening flood situation, the government has sought the army's help for rescue and relief operations.
Official sources said soldiers and navy motorboats were on high alert at Danapur near the Patna and air force helicopters were on standby at the Gorakhpur Air Base in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh for relief operations.
According to the Central Water Commission, floodwaters threatened to submerge more areas as rivers crossed the danger mark at several places and damaged many embankments.
Officials of the Flood Control Cell have blamed the floods on the increase in water levels in Nepal's rivers.
Governor R.S. Gavai directed the legislators of the flood-affected areas to monitor the distribution of food and relief packages.
The government has cancelled the leave of all officials posted in the flood-affected districts. A district level relief monitoring and vigilance committee has also been set up.
Road and rail traffic has been disrupted at several places. The road connecting Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur has been submerged while train services were disrupted due to flooding of tracks in many places in Bhagalpur and Madhubani districts.
Dozens of educational institutions have been temporarily closed due to the heavy rains. Several residential areas in the state capital are waterlogged.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is a weeklong visit to Mauritius.
"At a time when millions are fighting for survival due to the devastating floods, Nitish Kumar is enjoying Mauritius. The government has ceased to function," alleged Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Shayam Rajak.