CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -PM makes aerial survey of flood-hit Bihar; announces Rs 500 crore. PM Modi met top central and state officials along with Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi to review aid management.

Detailed explanation-2: -Since independence, floods in Bihar have affected 2.24 million hectares of agricultural land in all, and precipitated losses worth Rs 768.38 crore between 1953 and 2017. Patna: Every year, floods wreak havoc in Bihar, causing extensive losses and deaths.

Detailed explanation-3: -About 73.06% of Bihar’s geographical area, i.e. 68, 800 square kilometres (26, 600 sq mi) out of 94, 160 square kilometres (36, 360 sq mi), is flood affected. On an annual basis, they destroy thousands of human lives apart from livestock and assets worth millions.

Detailed explanation-4: -Impact. At least 4, 822 villages and 10, 000, 000 hectares of farm land were affected. About 29, 000 houses were destroyed and 44, 000 houses were damaged by the floods. Thousands of people were shifted to places of safety, including relief camps.

Detailed explanation-5: -The worst affected districts were Araria, Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura. After the floods in 2008, Bihar faced a drought for two years and again in 2011, nearly 100 villages were flooded by the Bagmati river. Much of Bihar’s misery has been caused by the Kosi river, which is a major tributary of Ganges.