Congress' Singhvi slams 'sleeping Bihar Govt' as state reels under floods; draws poll link

Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Thursday criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government as the state grapples with floods amid worsening COVID-19 situation. Singhvi said that the catastrophe has affected 38,47,531 people of Bihar while the state administration is ‘sleeping’.

The Congress leader went on to say that the Central government is ‘unresponsive’ towards the condition because there are ‘no elections around the corner’.

READ | Over 6,800 People Evacuated From Flood-hit Areas Of Bihar: NDRF

Relief measures underway in Bihar

The flood situation in Bihar has deteriorated with the death toll rising to 11 and nearly 40 lakh people being affected by the deluge, the state disaster management department said on Wednesday.

The number of people affected by the floods, caused by heavy rainfalls in catchment areas along the Indo-Nepal border, has now reached 38,47,531, a jump of nearly a million since the previous day. Residents of nearly a thousand villages across 12 affected districts have been hit by the deluge.

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According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the state received an average total rainfall of 22 mm, which was 89 per cent in excess of normal. Relief and rescue efforts, meanwhile, were in full swing with teams of the NDRF and the SDRF, equipped with 1,500 boats, being pressed into service.

The disaster management department put the total number of people evacuated from marooned localities at 3.09 lakh. Out of them, more than 25,000 people were taking shelter at 19 relief camps. Besides, 989 community kitchens were catering to 5.71 lakh people.

READ | Bihar: Floodwaters Enter New Areas, Hit A Million More People; 24.5 Lakh Affected In 11 Dists

2,000 fresh COVID-19 cases in Bihar

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Bihar on Wednesday, raising the tally to 45,919 as the death toll in the state mounted to 273 with four more fatalities, the Health department said. The number of active cases in Bihar stands at 15,142, with the state capital accounting for more than one-fifth of these (3,230).

On the brighter side, a total of 30,504 people have so far been cured with a recovery rate of 66.43 per cent. The number of samples tested since Tuesday is 17,794, an increase of more than 2,500 over the previous day. Altogether, 5.04 lakh tests have been conducted so far. CM Nitish Kumar has set a target of 20,000 tests per day. 

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