With the water level in major flooded rivers receding, the situation in flood-hit Bihar showed a sign of improvement on Wednesday.

“There is some improvement in the flood situation. The floodwater that spread to large areas is receding, relief and rescue operations are underway for the affected people,” an official of the state disaster management department said in Patna.

However, the death toll due to the floods has risen up to 33 from the last count of 25 presented by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the Monsoon Session of the state Assembly on Tuesday.

Over 2.6 million residents have been affected in the floods that have spread across 12 districts. 1,25,000 people have been moved to safer areas.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had confirmed in the Assembly on Tuesday that floodwaters have inundated more areas as water from the rivers flowing from Nepal breached embankments and submerged roads at several places in Darbhanga, Sitamarhi and Madhubani districts.

As per a report by the state water resources department, the water level in Bagmati and Kamla Balan has receded. The water level is also decreasing in the Mahanand and Kosi rivers and their tributaries.

The water level, although, is rising in the Burhi Gandak and Ganga rivers, it said.

With hundreds of villages submerged and thousands of people displaced in the disaster, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed officials to provide speedy relief to all the affected people and keep the relief camps well-accomplished.

“North Bihar districts received unremitting rainfall during between July 12 and 13, which in inclusion with the waters from Nepal, left the state flooded,” said India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.  East Champaran got 214.92 mm of rainfall, Sitamarhi 154.55 mm and Muzaffarpur 125.15 within 24 hours. This surpassed a 54-years-old record of heavy rainfall in 24 hours in Bihar, that too, in the month of July.

The following day, Kishanganj block recorded 186.8 mm precipitation within five hours preceded by Kochadham block, Thakurganj block and Bagadurganj block receiving record downpour.