Bihar floods: Rahul Gandhi urges government to speed up relief, rescue operations

In the wake of devastating floods in Bihar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged the government and the administration to carry out relief and rescue operations with full promptness and ensure that essential aid reaches the affected families as soon as possible.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also appealed to Congress workers to step forward and provide all possible assistance to the affected people.

"The loss of lives due to the devastating floods in Bihar is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this disaster. My sympathies are with all those affected by this tragedy," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

Rahul Gandhi appeals to Congress workers

"I appeal to Congress workers to step forward and provide all possible assistance to the affected people. At the same time, I expect the government and administration to carry out relief and rescue operations with full promptness and ensure that essential aid reaches the affected families as soon as possible," Gandhi said.

His remarks came as large parts of Bihar continued to reel under the impact of floods, with rivers swollen by heavy rainfall in the state and their catchment areas.

Nearly 50 lakh people affected

Nearly 50 lakh people across 15 districts have been affected by the floods, officials said on Monday.

According to the Disaster Management Department, 49.67 lakh people have been impacted in the affected districts.

The districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura and Araria.

Heavy rain pushes rivers above danger marks

Bihar has recorded 112.7 mm of rainfall so far in September, around six per cent above normal, according to the local weather office.

An official said continuous rainfall in the catchment areas of rivers flowing from Nepal into Bihar, along with heavy rain in the state, had caused several rivers and streams to rise above their danger marks.

The flooding has affected a large population across the 15 districts, prompting continued focus on rescue and relief efforts.

Gandhi called for essential assistance to reach affected families without delay and urged Congress workers to support people facing the impact of the floods.