PATNA: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Friday undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of neighbouring Bihar and donated Rs.110 million (Rs.11 crore) for the relief and rehabilitation of those affected by the calamity.

"She handed over a cheque to a top official of the Bihar disaster management department here," an official said. After the aerial survey, she addressed a press conference and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take an initiative to solve the annual problem of floods in Bihar. "Floods are not new to Bihar, but the government should take the issue seriously to come up with a solution," Mayawati said before leaving for Uttar Pradesh.

She expressed her support for the flood-hit people and assured all possible help to them.

Eighteen days after floods hit the state, thousands of people are still marooned. The turbulent Kosi river continues to pose a threat to lives of people trapped in Bihar's worst floods in over 50 years. Officials of the disaster management department said there was a strong possibility of an increase in the water levels of the Kosi river till the first week of October.

The floods have claimed 22 lives officially and nearly 100 lives according to non-official estimates. Over 2.5 million people and 925,000 head of cattle have been affected. Many Bihar districts were flooded by the swirling waters of the Kosi river following a breach in an embankment upstream in Nepal.

According to official sources, so far 830,000 people have been evacuated from over 898 villages of five districts by government agencies in last 15 days with the help of army, navy and air force.

"Over 275,000 people are staying in over 250 relief camps in the areas," an official said. The flood waters have submerged about 100,000 hectares of farmland.

 

Source : IANS