New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is working on a "mission mode" for flood rescue and relief in Assam and Bihar, but it will be a long haul, the chief of the force said Wednesday.

NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said in a video message that a total of 16 teams of the federal contingency force have been deployed in Assam and 20 in Bihar.

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"In Bihar, the situation was a little alarming yesterday because of the possible influx of almost 5 lakh cusecs of water into the Gandak river and also because of incoming water in other river systems of north Bihar."

"In Assam, the situation is comparatively better in the sense that there has not been so much rain as earlier," Pradhan said while updating about the flood situation.

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However, he said, the relief and rescue work is being done on a "mission mode" by the NDRF and it will continue to do so as long as required.

"We understand that this is probably a little longish run that is required and the NDRF has to commit itself and we are willing to do that," the NDRF DG said.

“We have started the evacuation work wherever the local administration wanted in both the states,” he said.

Pradhan said the relief work is being done facing the "dual challenge" of COVID-19 spread and floods this time.

"We have to take all the precautions. Let us not forget that the NDRF personnel will also have to protect themselves before they protect others and in the process some of them may get infected as during cyclone Amphan (that hit the West Bengal coast in May)," he said.

Over 60 personnel of the force had contracted the coronavirus infection after the Amphan operation and all of them have now recovered.

The grim floods situation in Assam has led to as many as 89 deaths while more than 26 lakh people in 26 districts are affected.

As per a Bihar government bulletin issued on Tuesday, a total of 13,585 people were moved to safer places and 1,075 were staying at five relief camps.

The eight districts which have been affected by flood are Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj and East Champaran.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)