Bihar shifts 75,000 after flood threat

August 4, 2014

Patna, Aug 4: Over 75,000 people were evacuated on Sunday after a drastic rise in the water level of Kosi river in Bihar spread panic among people living along the Indo-Nepal border, who feared a repeat of the 2008 flood that killed 237 and displaced lakhs.bihar

A major catastrophe was averted on Sunday, although temporarily, as Nepal warned before releasing a large amount of water into the Kosi river, which originates in the Himalayan nation. People were shifted to relief camps following the alert issued by Nepal after a landslide in its territory.

The calamity occurred in Nepal’s Sindhupalchok district, some 100 km north of Kathmandu, and more than 600 km from Patna, in the early hours of Saturday. It resulted in damming of the river Sunkosi, a tributary of Kosi, where around 14 lakh cusecs of water accumulated. As a result, the river turned into a lake.

On Saturday, Nepal alerted India that once its armymen blasted the debris, water would come gushing down to Bihar.

According to an estimate, 40 per cent of the water accumulated in Nepal was supposed to be released into Bihar, and, thus the Indian state was asked to take all precautionary steps.

The Centre on Sunday dispatched a 40-member doctors’ team with 15 companies of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Six companies of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were also put on the job. The authorities evacuated about 75,000 people and their cattle in Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Purnia, Araria, Khagaria, Bhagalpur and Madhubani to relief camps.

India appealed to Nepal to ask its army to blast the debris (near Sindhupalchok) during daytime and in phases so that the water was not released into Kosi in one go. “We have also despatched our engineers and officials to the site in Nepal where the Bhante Kosi (another name for Sunkosi) has been (dammed),” said Bihar’s Disaster Management Principal Secretary Vyasji on Sunday.

“The team has been asked to inform us immediately after the Nepal Army blasts the debris. According to Central Water Commission, around 40 per cent of water would gush down the Kosi and flow into Bihar,” Vyasji said, adding that “experts believe that flood water would travel for eight hours in Nepal and another six hours in Bihar before it reaches Birpur barrage (in Bihar’s Supaul, close to Indo-Nepal border).

Meanwhile, all the 56 gates of Birpur barrage have been opened to deal with the sudden rise in water level. After the water flows downstream from the barrage, it is believed it could withstand the pressure of at least 6 lakh cusecs and also help prevent damage to the western embankment of Kosi.

Till the time of reporting, Nepal had released 1.5 lakh cusecs, which was not alarming given the capacity of Birpur barrage. But Bihar is still on high alert as the spectre of nature’s fury looms large.

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News Network
June 8,2020

New Delhi, Jun 8: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has gone into self-quarantine after developing sore throat and fever, and will get himself tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday, officials said on Monday.

They said the chief minister, who is also a diabetic, was feeling unwell since Sunday afternoon.

"He has mild fever and sore throat since Sunday afternoon. As advised by doctors, the chief minister will undergo COVID-19 test on Tuesday morning," officials said.

Officials said the CM had attended a Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning and thereafter, he did not attend any meeting.

The chief minister has been holding most of his meetings via video conferencing from his official residence for past two days.

This come as the number of coronavirus cases in the national capital crossed the 28,000-mark with 1,282 fresh infections while the death toll climbed to 812 on Sunday, a health bulletin issued by the Delhi government said. According to the health bulletin, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi rose to 28,936 with 1,282 fresh cases.

A total of 51 fatalities were reported on June 6, the bulletin said, adding that these lives were lost between May 8 and June 5. It, however, said the cumulative death figure refers to fatalities where the primary cause of death was found to be COVID-19, according to a report of the Death Audit Committee on the basis of the case-sheets received from various hospitals.

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News Network
April 7,2020

New Delhi, April 7: The government continued to take steps to contain the spread of coronavirus including a strategy of cluster containment as the cases continued to rise and Tuesday saw single-day largest jump of 722 positive cases.

The total number of positive cases reached 4,789 on Tuesday, the 14th day of lockdown.

According to the latest update of the Health Ministry, there are 4,312 active cases, 352 persons have been cured or discharged (one migrated) and 124 have died.

Maharashtra has the largest number of positive cases at 868 and also accounts for the largest number of deaths at 48. Tamil Nadu has 621 confirmed cases.

Thirteen persons have died in Madhya Pradesh and the same number in Gujarat.
The 21-day lockdown was announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the regular media briefing at 4 pm, Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, said that the government is adopting a strategy for cluster containment.

"This strategy is producing positive results, especially in Agra, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Pathanamthitta, Bhilwara and East Delhi," he said.

Aggarwal said that a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has shown that a person infected with coronavirus can infect 406 others in just 30 days if he does not follow the lockdown and social distancing norms.

He said no decision has been taken on extending the lockdown and urged against any speculation.

He said latest technology was being used for management of COVID-19 and there was real-time tracking of ambulances.

The official said the dedicated facilities for COVID-19 are divided into three parts -- COVID Care Centre, Dedicated COVID Health Centre and Dedicated COVID Hospitals.

He said that COVID Care Centres were for treating mild, very mild and likely to be COVID-19 patients. Hostels, hotels, school, and stadium can be used for this. "We have asked states to map it with COVID Care Hospitals and COVID Health Centre so that patients can be shifted if needed," he said.

The official said that COVID Health Centres were for treating COVID-19 patients of clinically moderate level of seriousness. "For this, fully functional hospitals will be used. A dedicated block of a fully functional hospital can also be used for this. The hospitals must have beds with oxygen support," he said.

Aggarwal said that dedicated COVID Hospitals were meant for severe and critical cases and these must be fully-equipped with ICUs and ventilators.
New coronavirus cases were reported on Tuesday from several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued an advisory about containing coronavirus in national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves in view of the spread of COVID-19 and a report about tiger being infected in New York. The Central Zoo Authority has also advised zoos in India to remain on high alert.

Here's a quick read on the COVID-19 related updates

1. The Indian Railways has prepared 40,000 isolation beds in 2,500 coaches and this work is ongoing in 133 locations across the country.

2. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was willing to extend the lockdown in the state after the completion of 21-day period to save lives.

3. The government is monitoring the movement of pharmaceuticals closely and the movement of pharmaceuticals through trucks has stabilised in the country.

4. Under the 'Lifeline Udan' initiative, 152 flights have transported over 200 tonnes of cargo till April 6.

5. According to ICMR, testing of 1,07,006 people has been carried out till date and 136 government labs and 59 private labs are conducting tests in the country.

6. The Home Ministry said that the status of essential goods and services was by and large satisfactory in the country. Home Minister Amit Shah has issued directives to the states to ensure there is no hoarding or black marketing in any corner of the country.

7. The number of corona positive cases in Uttar Pradesh has reached 314. Of these, 168 patients are connected to Tablighi Jamaat, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.

8. The government has lifted restrictions on export of 24 pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines made from them.

9. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Group of Ministers had "an extensive discussion on the prevailing situation post the lockdown" in the country. They also appreciated the Cabinet's decision to cut MP's salary for a year.

10. Central Zoo Authority has advised zoos in the country to remain on highest alertness, watch animals on 24X7 basis, using CCTV for any abnormal behavior or symptoms.

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News Network
March 2,2020

Mar 2: Two more positive cases of the novel coronavirus -- one in Delhi and another in Telangana -were reported, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

The person from Delhi had travelled to Italy, it said adding he is being diagnosed at RML hospital.

The other person with the coronavirus infection has a travel history to Dubai, the ministry added.

"Both the patients are stable and being closely monitored," the ministry said.

Sunitha Krishnan is the name of the patient from Telangana and she is a social activist.

Krishnan has tweeted, "So going to enjoy hospitality at Gandhi Hospital for two days as admitted in the isolation ward suspected coronavirus. They have not started the tests yet( 1.30 hrs since I arrived).I believe the results make take 48hrs. At this pace, I have a feeling I am might be here sometime."

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