Flood-hit Faizullaganj: Crawling threats add to woes

Several residents have posted videos on social media showing the situation inside and around their homes. In one video posted on Instagram, Mama Colony resident Sonam Maurya claimed snakes were entering houses, raising concerns for children living in the flooded neighbourhood.

With floodwater continuing to surround homes in Faizullaganj, residents are now grappling with another threat — snakes and other potentially dangerous creatures entering residential areas — while thick layers of water hyacinths have accumulated across inundated pockets.

Residents said the prolonged presence of stagnant floodwater and dense vegetation had made it increasingly difficult to identify or respond to animals moving through the submerged areas. (HT)

Several residents have posted videos on social media showing the situation inside and around their homes. In one video posted on Instagram, Mama Colony resident Sonam Maurya claimed snakes were entering houses, raising concerns for children living in the flooded neighbourhood.

“There are children and it is difficult to keep them safe. A snakebite can be fatal,” she said in the video.

Another resident, Nidhi Mishra, also posted a video describing how families were struggling to sleep at night because they had to remain alert and keep an eye on their children.

“We are not sleeping the entire night as we have to guard the children,” she said.

An unverified video posted online by resident Anuj Gaur purportedly showed a crocodile near a house in the locality. The video could not be independently verified.

Residents said the prolonged presence of stagnant floodwater and dense vegetation had made it increasingly difficult to identify or respond to animals moving through the submerged areas.

Suraj Kashyap, a Faizullaganj resident and member of Bal Mahila Sangthan, a local group involved in relief work, said several such incidents had been reported by residents.

“People are reporting such incidents and we are helping them reach relief services. We are also helping residents get medicines from the relief camp,” he said.

The sightings have added to the difficulties faced by residents of the flood-hit locality, where people have already been forced to navigate waterlogged lanes and submerged surroundings for days. With water hyacinths spreading across several stretches, residents said the stagnant water was also becoming a growing concern for children and elderly people.

Consultant physician Dr Kuldeep Verma of Civil Hospital said floodwater could carry dirt, microorganisms and insecticides and increase the risk of waterborne diseases such as hepatitis A, cholera and typhoid.