5 dozen villages in Bhagalpur flooded as Ganga sets new flood level mark

In Patna, Ganga was flowing at 50.34m against the highest flood level of 50.52m registered in 2016 at Gandhi Ghat and 51.68m at Digha against the 1975 HFL of 52.52m.

Dozens of villages in Naugachia town of Bhagalpur got flooded on Tuesday after the swollen Ganga, which set a new highest flood level (HFL) there, breached a ring bund between Ismailpur and Bind Toli.

Ganga has been at its highest level at Hathidah for the past one week and it crossed the highest flood level of 34.72m, registered in 2016, at Bhagalpur. (Courtesy Photo- PTI)

Local officials of the water resources department (WRD) said that over five dozen villages of two blocks, Ismailpur and Kharik, were submerged with floodwaters flattening kuchha houses and standing crops following the breach in the ring embankment. Around 250-feet of the bund has been washed away in strong currents of the river Ganga.

The river, which has been at its highest level at Hathidah in Mokama of Patna district for the past one week, crossed the highest flood level of 34.72m, registered in 2016, at Bhagalpur and was flowing 3cm above the HFL at 3pm on Monday and was on a rising trend. Ganga waters were at a new HFL of 43.54m at Hathidah.

In Patna, the river was flowing at 50.34m against the highest flood level of 50.52m registered in 2016 at Gandhi Ghat and 51.68m at Digha against the 1975 HFL of 52.52m. Other tributaries of Ganga like Sone, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, Ghaghra and Burhi Gandak were also reported to be flowing above the danger levels at different stretches of their course.

Meanwhile, four persons, including a woman and three children, drowned and two others went missing after a boat carrying them capsized in river Gandak near Kuchaikot of Gopalganj.

Enraged by absence of relief, hundreds of villagers, who have been sheltered on an embankment in Khagaria following the flooding from Kosi, blocked vehicular traffic on the nearby national highway 31 for many hours and shouted slogans against the district authorities. Villagers alleged that they were denied relief materials and animal fodder for the last one week.