Bihar Floods ravage famous tourists spots; Ashoka Pillar & Buddha Relic Stupa inundated

Bihar is inundated with floodwater for several weeks. With heavy rainfall and rising river water level, several low-lying areas in the state have submerged. Amid this, pictures of Bihar’s most famous tourist spot-- ‘Ashoka Pillar’ and ‘Buddha Relic Stupa’ being submerged in the floodwaters have surfaced on the social media. 

Bihar floods ravages Ashoka Pillar, photos shows tourist spot submerged in water

During recent severe rains, one of Bihar's key tourist sites has been flooded. Floods have hit a major Buddhist excavation site in Bihar's Vaishali district, which houses the historic 'Ashoka Pillar' and 'Buddha Relic Stupa,' according to photos sent by the news agency ANI. The famed Ashoka Pillar, which has a lion statue on top, can be seen partially submerged in floodwater. The Ashoka Pillar is a single chunk of red sandstone which stands 18.3 metres tall.

CM visits flood-affected areas in Bihar

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar undertook an aerial survey of flood-affected Katihar and Purnea districts. The situation in the flood-hit districts of Bihar remains grim as water levels of Ganga keep increasing at a steady rate. 

The Ganga river was at its record high in Bhagalpur where it reached 34.75 metres on August 16, beating the previous high of 34.72 metres set in 2016. Rivers across the state were above the danger mark in 26 locations. The surge in water level had additionally hit the train services in Bihar. Many trains were additionally cancelled, and routes were diverted. On Tuesday, August 31, the CM had conducted another aerial survey of flood-affected areas in three districts, Bhagalpur, Begusarai and Khagaria. To take stock of the situation in various areas, CM visited relief camps set up by the district administration. 

Financial assistance declared

CM Nitish Kumar has announced that financial assistance of Rs. 6000 would be given to each flood-affected family. Pregnant women living in relief camps would be given the aid of Rs. 10000 for having a son and Rs. 15000 for having a daughter.

Almost 2.7 million people in Bihar have been affected by the floods that hit nearly 15 districts. The Disaster Management in Bihar reported on August 16 that the floods have severely impacted almost 2176 villages, and 12 people had lost their lives. The affected districts included Muzzafarpur, Darbhanga, Khagaria, Saharsa, Patna, Vaishali, Bhojpur, Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur, Saran, Buxar, Begusarai, Katihar, Munger and Samastipur. 

Image: ANI