Flood: Ten NDRF teams rushed to Bihar, UP; schools closed in Varanasi

LUCKNOW: The Centre last night rushed 10 NDRF teams to flood-hit areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in order to launch massive relief and rescue operations to help those marooned in these states. NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI that while five teams are being airlifted for immediate deployment from its base in Odisha to Uttar Pradesh, the rest five are being picked by choppers from Bathinda in Punjab and will be sent to Bihar. "These fresh teams will be launched into operation by early today," the DG said, adding they would be equipped with boats and essential items like medicines. Singh said the teams will be in addition to the 56 such contingents which are undertaking flood combat operations in these two states, besides Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The DG also briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh with full updates of the flood situation in these states late in the night. In order to launch massive operations in the two worst-affected states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the NDRF has created on-ground control rooms in these two states and deputed two senior Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) S S Guleria (Patna) and R K Rana (Varanasi) to take control of the situation. The district administration of Varanasi on Monday ordered for the closure of all schools for next three days. Earlier in the day, the NDRF said it had rescued more than 26,000 people from the flood-ravaged areas of these states. "So far, the NDRF teams have evacuated more than 26,400 people from various flood-prone areas in the country this monsoon season. Besides the rescue work, these teams have provided medical care to the more than 9,100 people in these States," the NDRF said. In Bihar yesterday, NDRF teams evacuated 3,400 people from Didarganj, 580 from Bakhtiyarpur, 545 from Danapur, 380 from Chhapra, 355 from Vaishali and 15 from Maner in Patna. The NDRF said 11 flood rescue teams rescued 275 people from Ballia, 275 from Varanasi and 325 from Chitrakoot in UP on yesterday. Nearly 150 marooned people were shifted to safer places from Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. "An NDRF team pre-positioned in Sikkim conducted similar operations in Tingbung and Lingdang villages and evacuated more than 450 people on Sunday," it said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised full support to these flood-hit states in the conduct of rescue and relief operations. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is closely monitoring the situation and had telephonic conversation with Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav (UP), Harish Rawat (Uttarakhand), Nitish Kumar (Bihar) and Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan) and took stock of the flood situation in the states.