Bihar Flood 2019 – Free PDF Download

THE FLOODS

• Death toll in the Bihar flash floods, caused by torrential rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal over the weekend, soared to 67
• The officials asserted that water levels have begun to recede in the inundated areas and focus has now shifted to prevention of outbreak of diseases.
• The affected population now stood at 46.83 lakhs residing in 831 panchayats under 92 blocks of 12 districts.

 STATE IN BIHAR

• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired a meeting with officials at Secretariat over the current flood situation in the state; initiated the process of sending relief fund of Rs. 6000 directly to the bank accounts of each flood-affected family.

BIHAR IS FLOODING EVERY YEAR

• On July 11-12, Nepal’s Simara weather station received more than half the 580.2 milimetre rainfall it gets in July normally. The spell totalled 478.40 mm by July 13. The next day all 56 sluice gates of the Kosi barrage were opened, releasing three lakh cusecs towards Bihar

 KOSHI BARRAGE

• The Koshi Barrage is a sluice across the Koshi river that carries vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between Saptari district and Sunsari district of Nepal. It is near the international border with India. It was built between 1958 and 1962 and has 56 gates.

 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BARRAGE AND A DAM?

• Both are constructed across the river to maintain the flow of river, for diverting water to canal for irrigation, for generating electricity. So it become often confusing to distinguish between both. A barrage is a type of low-head, diversion dam which consists of a number of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing through.

 NOTES

• A dam stores surplus flood water and distributes it through irrigation tunnels in the dam or through canals from its reservoir. In the case of barrages, there is no such storage and the canals take water directly from the rivers.

REASONS OF FLODING

• Heavy rainfall ensued in Bihar as well, but the sudden rise of water levels in Kosi, Bagmati, Kamka Balan, Gandak, Budhi Gandak and their tributaries was due to an extreme weather event in Nepal, said Vyas, vice-chairman of Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA).

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