Patna, Aug 28 : Terming Bihar floods as national calamity, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Thursday announced immediate release of Rs 1,000-crore as flood relief for the state.

The Prime Minister also announced immediate release of 1.25 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains for the affected people.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Singh and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today undertook an aerial survey of Supaul, Saharsa, Araria and Madhepura districts.

Patna, Aug 28 : Following heavy rains in catchments areas of Nepal, Flood water is entering new areas of worst hit Madhepura, Supaul and Araria districts of Bihar.

After discharge of one lakh sixty-five thousand cusec of water from river Kosi, the flood situation in Kosi region has deteriorated, triggering mass evacuation in the region.

About one lakh marooned people have been evacuated so far, bulk of them by government boats and many on their own. Four helicopters and 200 country boats are working overtime to ferry the men and material to safe destinations.

Patna, Aug 28 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will today undertake an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Bihar.

After a day-long aerial survey, Dr. Singh is scheduled to review the relief and rescue measures launched by the State Government at a high-level meeting with senior officials.

Ahead of his visit, State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met the PM on Wednesday in New Delhi and sought central assistance of Rs 1000 crore and one lakh tones of foodgrains immediately for the affected people.

Patna, Aug 27 : With the Kosi River continuing to unleash its fury in Bihar districts bordering Nepal, over 20 lakh people are bearing the brunt of floods.

The Army was called out to help the marooned people.

Three IAF helicopters airdropped relief materials in the flood-ravaged villages of Supaul, Araria and Madhepura districts where more than 12 lakh people were hit by the floods caused by the breach in the east Kosi embankment in Nepal on August 18.

Patna, August 20 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday demanded an apology from a Goa Minister for his remark that there will be more beggars in the coastal state if trains linking it to Patna are introduced.

Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik on Tuesday made the remark, which triggered an outrage in Bihar.

Nitish said the remark had hurt the sentiments of the people of Bihar.

Patna, Aug 19 : Following a breach in the Kosi barrage in Nepal, a red alert has been sounded in Supaul, Madhepura and Araria districts of Bihar. 

A 12 km stream of the Kosi barrage in Nepal territory has developed breach at two places. The barrage is maintained by the Bihar Government’s Water Resources Development Department in Biratnagar. Cooperation has been sought from Nepal.