New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS): The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, met here on Tuesday to review the prevailing flood situation in Bihar and directed that immediate assistance be provided to meet the crisis.

The NCMC has been informed that action to evacuate and rescue people and livestock has been taken by the state government machinery, in which all assistance have been rendered by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other Central agencies.

"Twenty teams have been deployed in the state of which six alone are deployed in Patna, which has witnessed very heavy rains and water logging over the past three days," a statement from Home Ministry said.

The Cabinet Secretary took stock of the situation, preparedness, rescue and relief operations and directed that immediate assistance, as sought by the state, be provided to meet the crisis, the statement said.

"The state government informed that due to extremely heavy rainfall in the state, along with high levels of water in the rivers, there has been flooding in 16 districts," the statement added.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that while there has been very heavy rainfall in Bihar over the past few days, the condition is improving now.

Senior officials from the Home and Defence Ministries, IMD, NDRF and Central Water Commission attended the meeting. Bihar Chief Secretary and other senior officers from the state government participated in the meeting through video conference, the statement said.