Bihar flood situation remains grim; 81.67 lakh people affected
Patna: The flood situation in Bihar remained critical on Wednesday with an additional 8,358 people affected by the calamity in 16 districts while Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha said, there was no "immediate threat" to the state capital from the rising water level of the Ganga.
He said this after making a surprise inspection of various ghats along the river, which is flowing above the danger mark at Gandhi Ghat here.
The Ganga is flowing 10 cm above the danger mark at Gandhi Ghat, over 26 cm above the mark at Hathidah in Patna and more than 13 cm above the mark at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur.
The minister carried out an on-the-spot review with officials and found that there was no immediate threat from the rising water level in the Ganga as it is 1.82 metres below its highest flood level of 50.52 metres at Gandhi Ghat, an official release said.
The minister, who was accompanied by the departments secretary Sanjeev Hans, was apprised of Patna Town Protection Wall (PTP) in detail, it said.
The PTP wall was constructed in 1976 to protect the city from any flood threat from the Ganga.
During the inspection of the ghats, a surprise mock drill was carried out at gate number 55 of the PTP at LCT Ghat to ensure proper closure of the gates, Jha said.
Meanwhile, the water level of the Ganga is witnessing a rising trend in Buxar, Munger, Bhagalpur, and Digha Ghat in Patna.
A total of 81,67,671 people have been affected by flood waters in 1,317 panchayats of 130 blocks, official reports said.
About 81.59 lakh people were affected on Tuesday.
The Disaster Management Department said, the number of deaths in flood-related incidents remained 25 in the state.
Of the total 12 relief centres, only six centres were functional on Wednesday.
About 5.50 lakh people have been evacuated so far by 27 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
The number of people living in relief centres has reduced to 5,198 in six centres from 13,198 people in 12 relief camps on Tuesday.
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Several Gurugram schools receive hoax bomb threats
Gurugram (PTI): Several Gurugram schools received another hoax bomb threat emails on Wednesday morning, prompting police to launch searches on the premises.
Police said the email was sent by the 'Khalistan National Army', with threats issued to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to declare April 29 as the "40th Khalistan Declaration Day". It also threatened to bomb the Red Fort in Delhi.
Police said it was a hoax as no suspicious items were found after an intensive search.
Several schools, including Shri Ram, Amity, and the HDFC school, received threatening emails at 8.33 am, when classes had already begun, police said.
The school administrations became aware of the threats around 9 am and immediately informed the police, a senior police officer said.
The schools immediately implemented emergency protocols, with many declaring a holiday and asking parents to take their children home safely, the officer said.
A large number of anxious parents gathered outside the schools, as police and bomb squad teams reached the spots and started checks.
"Around 10 schools have approached the police from morning until now over bomb threats. Police teams are alert, and searches are underway on all the premises", the officer said.
As soon as the information about this email was received, police in Gurugram and Delhi swung into action and started investigation.
Schools immediately implemented emergency protocols upon receiving the mail. Many schools declared a holiday and sent messages to parents, asking them to take their children home. Large crowds of parents gathered outside the schools.
The schools were sanitised by sending a bomb disposal squad as well as a dog squad.
A senior police officer said that police teams thoroughly searched the school premises, classrooms, buildings, and surrounding areas. No suspicious objects or explosive materials were found during the investigation.
"Police teams are seriously investigating the entire matter. Cyber experts are being consulted to determine the authenticity of the email, its source, and the identity of the sender", added the officer.
This is the third time since January that schools have received fake bomb threats.
In March, at least a dozen schools in the city received bomb threat emails, which later turned out to be hoaxes.
Similarly, on January 28, as many as 13 schools received hoax bomb threats via email, forcing authorities to evacuate campuses and suspend classes.
Last month, police arrested a Bangladeshi national whose email ID was allegedly used to make a bomb threat for some payment.
