Four houses destroyed, 50-metre embankment damaged by Ganga erosion in Bihar

Four houses destroyed, 50-metre embankment damaged by Ganga erosion in Bihar

Patna/Bhagalpur, Sudden erosion along the Ganga in Bihar's Bhagalpur district damaged a 50-metre embankment and affected around 40-50 houses, four of which were completely destroyed, officials said on Saturday.

Four houses destroyed, 50-metre embankment damaged by Ganga erosion in Bihar

According to a statement by the Water Resources Department, the erosion began around 6 pm on Friday near Mahadevpur Ghat in Raghopur village, along an abandoned railway line on the river's left bank.

Most of the affected houses were kuchcha structures, while around 10 pucca houses developed cracks, prompting the evacuation of residents as a precautionary measure, the statement said.

Flood-fighting operations are continuing round the clock to contain the erosion and prevent further damage to life and property. The situation is currently under control, and no fresh erosion was reported on Saturday, it added.

The department deployed 15 teams of engineers in shifts, in addition to an assistant engineer and four junior engineers already stationed at the site, officials said.

"A special team comprising a superintendent engineer, an executive engineer and an assistant engineer was also deputed on Saturday," the statement said.

The department arranged 50,000 sand-filled bags, mega geo-bags, geo-bags, ECO bags, nylon crates, tractors, boats and a steamer to strengthen vulnerable stretches.

The Ganga's water level in Bhagalpur was below the warning mark and had fallen by around 12 cm in the preceding 12 hours, the department statement said.

However, the river current had shifted towards the left bank and remained strong, sustaining the risk of undermining and further erosion, it said, adding that the situation was expected to improve over the next 24 hours.

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