PATNA, Aug. 26 -- Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas adjoining Patna to assess the current situation and asked for urgent steps to ameliorate sufferings of those affected due to the widespread inundations. The survey was conducted a day after all gates of the Farakka barrage on river Ganga were opened on Choudhary's request to his West Bengal counterpart Suvendu Adhikari in view of the surging water level in the river. In a post on X, Choudhary said he surveyed the flood-hit zones near Patna, reviewed the ground situation and instructed the officials to ensure relief, rescue and essential arrangements on a war footing in the affected areas. The survey video shows him observing extensive inundation of fields, villages and low-lying areas from a helicopter. A senior officer of the WRD said that all gates of the Farakka barrage were opened to facilitate downstream flow, ease water pressure upstream in Bihar and help control the flood situation. As per WRD reports, Ganga has been flowing above the danger level at several monitoring points in Bihar, affecting low-lying and diara areas and prompting deployment of NDRF and SDRF teams, sandbags, boats and earthmovers for embankment repairs (including after breaches or severe erosion reported in parts of Begusarai and Bhagalpur). Other rivers such as the Kosi, Burhi Gandak and others have also shown elevated levels in places....