A pregnant woman had to be taken to the nearest healthcare facility on a raft in Darbhanga, Bihar, which is flooded with water.
A pregnant woman was taken to the nearest government health care facility, on a makeshift raft for delivery. This incident happened in Bihar’s flood-hit Darbhanga district today. The raft was made of wooden planks and rubber tyres. Neighbours waded through neck-deep water and pushed the raft. The woman’s mother, also was on the raft, holding her daughter as the raft swayed while it was being pulled.
A State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) boat was sent for the women and her family, as soon as the news reached the Darbhanga magistrate’s office.
Most of the rivers in the region including the Baghmati, Mahananda and Khiroi are flowing above danger mark in Dhenga, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Hayaghat and Darbhanga districts, a water resources department bulletin said. Darbhanga is one of the worst flood-affected districts of Bihar. It is witnessing extensive inundation this year and not even half the monsoon season is over.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday asked the disaster management department officials and district magistrates to be alert in view of heavy rainfall in catchment areas of the Gandak river, which has its source in Nepal.
A government official said that the flood situation could worsen in West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran districts, if there is more rain in the catchment area of the Gandak.
National and State Disaster Relief Force teams have been deployed in many districts to remove people to higher grounds.
Bihar and Assam are battling the twin disasters of floods and COVID-19, with the number of positive cases rising every day.
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