RJD's Manoj Jha writes to PM Modi on Bihar floods, says state struggling amid COVID crisis

RJD leader Manoj Jha on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi talking about the floods in Bihar saying that it was adding to the woes of the state which was already reeling under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. His comments came after at least 8 districts in Bihar witnessed flooding across 30 blocks after all major rivers surpassed dangerous levels and broke banks entering the urban settlement.

"There was already a lot of concern about COVID-19. But Bihar suffered a double whammy due to the floods during the coronavirus situation," wrote Manoj Jha in a letter in Hindi, according to news agency ANI. "In many districts, where migrant workers had come in large numbers, the situation is getting worse due to floods," he added.

The RJD leader added that on the pandemic front, COVID-19 tests were not being made available to the people for several weeks alleging that adequate amount of PPEs were also not available to the doctors across most districts of the state. Bihar's COVID tally has been inching closer to 30,000 after 1,109 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday taking the total number of cases to  28,564, according to the health department.

Read: Bihar: COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 198; Positive Cases Rise To 28,564

Read: CarryMinati Hosts Charity Stream To Raise Money For Assam And Bihar Flood Victims

Bihar Floods

On July 19, Bihar’s Secretary of Water Resources Department Sanjeev Hans warned that the water levels in the state from the massive flooding were still on the rise. Bihar’s water resources department had earlier warned that the Bagmati river was flowing above the danger mark at Katounjha in Sitamarhi, Hayaghat in Darbhanga, and Beniabad in Muzaffarpur. It further cautioned that river Mahananda had jumped record danger level at Dhengraghat in Purnia, as per a news agency report. 

“People are warned by IMD forecasts so that people living in the lower places can shift to higher ground,” Secretary of Water Resources Department stressed. Meanwhile, the Additional Secretary of Disaster Management Department Ramchandra Do said at the press briefing that the disaster management department was fully equipped with several relief teams on standby. 

Read: Bihar Water Resources Development Secretary Warns Water Levels In Rivers 'still On Rise'

Read: Bihar Health Min Thanks Doctors For Selfless Service; Attacks RJD For Negative Politics

(With Agency Inputs)