Nearly seven million people are reeling under the impact of the annual scourge in Sitamarhi, Saharsa, East Champaran, Darbhanga, Patna, Supaul, Bhagalpur, West Champaran, Katihar, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sheohar and Nalanda districts, disaster management department officials said.

According to a Darbhanga report, the Bagmati river has breached its embankment near Jathmalpur, flooding the vast countryside at Dholi, Pusa and Kalyanpur blocks of Samastipur.

District Magistrate Upendra Sharma has extended the closure of all educational institutions till August 14 in view of the alarming situation.

Essential supplies, including LPG, vegetables, petrol and diesel have also been badly hit in the area.

The district administration has banned the sale of motor fuels without a permit from the district supply officer in order to stock reserves of petrol and diesel for vehicles to be used for flood-fighting and relief operations.

As Darbhanga remained cut off from the rest of the state, thousands of people have taken shelter on National Highway 57, connecting it with Muzaffarpur as also on Darbhanga-Samastipur road.

A number of shops selling grocery, cooked food and even haircutting saloons have come up on these highways.