Bihar storm: Toll mounts to 57; Rajnath conducts survey
25 April 2015 6:18 AM IST
The Nor’wester storm toll in Bihar rose to 57, with three more person succumbing to his injuries in a hospital on Friday in the worst-hit Purnea district, even as an alert has been sounded for north-eastern regions of the state about possibility of a thunder squall and rain.
As per the latest report compiled by the state disaster management department, Purnea bore the brunt of the Nor’wester with a maximum of 38 deaths. While seven persons lost their lives in Madhepura, three died in Madhubani, two each in Katihar, Sitamarhi and Darbhanga and one in Supual, the report said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday conducted an aerial survey of storm-hit districts of Bihar and took stock of the situation as toll in the Tuesday’s killer Nor’wester mounted to 55.
“The Centre is fully behind the state government in this hour of crisis. We will provide all necessary help to the state government,” Singh said.
Accompanied by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Radha Mohan Singh and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Singh assessed the damage caused by the storm in worst-hit Purnia, Madhepura and Katihar districts.
The Home Minister also held a meeting with top state government officials.
Meanwhile, the state Meteorological department has issued an alert about the possibility of thunder squall and rain on Friday and Saturday in north-eastern parts of Bihar.
Director state Met office AK Sen said an alert has been sounded on the basis of “atmospheric instability” detected in the area particularly in the districts of Purnea, Katihar, Kishanganj and Motohari. “The area might witness thunder squall and rains which are dangerous,” Sen said.
Special Secretary in the state disaster management department Anirudh Kumar said alert has been send to district magistrates of 12 districts in the region.
He said they have been advised to keep medical teams on alert and make other necessary administrative preparations to safeguard citizens from further woes.
Meanwhile, electricity has been badly hit in Purnea as over 800 electric poles were uprooted and 40 transformers damaged.
Nitish lauds PM for ‘very quick’ response
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who had severed ties with the BJP for projecting Narendra Modi as its PM candidate in the Lok Sabha polls, on Friday praised and thanked him for “very quick” response to the state after the killer Nor’wester. “I want to thank the honourable PM and the honourable Home Minister for their assurance to provide help to the disaster-hit Bihar. The central government’s response was very quick. We are thankful to them,” he said.
Storm disrupts power, water supply in Tripura
Cyclonic storm, coupled with rain and thundershowers in Tripura for the past three days, has caused massive damage to water and power supply and it would take a few days to restore the supply, a state minister said on Friday.
Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey said the entire state was affected due to the storm and it would take at least seven to 10 days to restore normal supply as electricity posts were uprooted, electric wires torn and transformers damaged. “We appeal to all sections of society to cooperate in restoring power supply. Many skilled labourers were engaged, besides employees of the Tripura State Electricity Ltd (TSECL) for the restoration of power supply,” Dey said.
District Magistrate of Dhalai district Milind Ramteke said all four sub-divisions of the district suffered huge damage.
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