On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar, the death toll from the floods reached 418.

As per data available with the disaster management department, 39 fresh deaths were reported from the flood-affected districts in north Bihar displacing over 16.72 million people. The flood in north Bihar affected 186 blocks and 2,361 panchayats in which 276 animals have also died.

Disaster management department additional secretary Anirudh Kumar said relief and rescue work were being carried out on a large scale by the teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

"There are 28 teams of NDRF with 118 boats and 16 teams of SDRF with 92 boats in the flood-affected districts apart from seven army teams with 70 boats. The rescue operation is going on in full scale apart from relief work as 8,50,701 people have been evacuated so far and shifted to safer places. Relief materials are being distributed in the flood-affected districts," Anirudh said.

Altogether 1,152 NDRF and 466 SDRF people are engaged in the relief and rescue work.

He also said 1,403 community kitchens are functioning and at present 368 relief camps have been opened in which 1,59,016 people are taking shelter. As things stand now, 3,54,796 people are taking food from the community kitchen.

Modi will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts along with chief minister Nitish Kumar starting from Purnea.

The police headquarters has drafted 5,000 additional police personnel, who would be deployed in the districts badly hit by floods. In addition, eight superintendents of police (SP)-rank officers have been deputed for the visit.

The deluge has damaged crop across 63.61 lakh hectares. However, the estimate of the damage is still under assessment. Even the estimate of the damaged houses has not been yet prepared in which 24,350 houses have been washed away in the floods.

Among the 21 districts affected by floods, the worst-affected include Araria, East Champaran, West Champaran, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitarmarhi, Kishanganj, Supaul, Gopalganj and Katihar.

Araria tops the list of deaths at 87 followed by Sitamarhi (43) and Katihar (40). East Champaran tops the list where the maximum number people have been affected at 24.08 lakh followed by Sitamarhi (22.74 lakh) and Darbhanga (21.21 lakh).

The official of the Central Water Commission said many rivers at different places are still in spate and flowing above the danger level which includes Ganga, Ghaghra, Gandak, Budhi Gandak, Bagmati, the Adhwara group of rivers and Kosi.

Ganga is above the danger level by 62cm at Sahebganj and by 81cm at Farakka. Similarly, the Ghaghra is above danger level by 17cm at Gangpursiswan and the Gandak at Dumariaghat by 20cm.

Budhi Gandak is in spate at six places and flowing above the danger level by 62cm at Lalbagiyaghat by 10cm at Ahirwalia, by 115cm at Sikandarpur, by 298cm at Samastipur, by 265cm at Rosera and by 43cm at Khagaria.

A water resources department official said the Bagmati was flowing above danger level at two places, 42cm at Benibad and 41cm at Hayaghat. The Adhwara group of rivers are also flowing above the danger level at two places, 22cm at Kamtaul and 123cm at Ekmighat.

"The Kosi is flowing above the danger level at Kursela by 43cm, however all the embankments are safe across state and engineers have been asked to camp at all vulnerable places with the required equipments, "said a water resources department official.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted moderate rain in the catchment areas of most of the rivers in Bihar on Saturday.