Bihar government today issued a high alert cautioning several northern districts on imminent floods due to a drastic rise in water level of Kosi. It has ordered immediate evacuation in four districts due to the imminent floods.

Landslides in the upper reaches of Bhote Kosi, around 100 kilometres beyond Kathmandu have blocked the course of Sunkoshi river, the main river in Nepal.

According to Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs, the water level has risen to above 130 metres. The Nepalese Central Natural Disaster Relief Committee met in Kathmandu and asked the government to declare the areas downstream of the blocked Sunkoshi river, from Jure of Sindhupalchok to Nepal-India border as a “crisis-hit region” as the threat of outburst floods looms large.

A breach in Kosi embankment at Kushaha in Nepal on August 18, 2008 had resulted in one of the most disastrous floods in Bihar. The river had changed its course, killing hundreds of people and displacing around 30 lakh. The incident had also brought large-scale destruction of agriculture over 8 lakh acres of land.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern at the blockade situation on river Kosi in Nepal and directed all possible help to Bihar government as well as to Nepal. Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth also chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee today in New Delhi to review blockade and flooding situation in the river.

The Committee discussed with the Bihar government through video conferencing, the flooding situation which arose due to sudden release of water in the river.

In a statement, Home Ministry said that eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force and four teams of the State Disaster Response Force have been pressed into service. An additional 7 teams of the NDRF are being mobilized from West Bengal.

Bihar Government has been put on alert and it has started evacuation of persons living in villages lying within the embankment area in 22 panchayats of Supaul district and other 7 districts of state. Relief camps are being organised for the evacuated families.