Ganga hits record level at Mokama, high alert along banks

The gushing currents of a swollen Ganga have flooded riverine areas of Patna, Chapra and Vaishali districts, and those in Bhagalpur, Buxar and Bhojpur in the past 24 hours, as the river’s water level rose by 9-27 cm compared to Thursday.

Bihar’s water resources department (WRD) has heightened surveillance along the course of Ganga in the state after the river set a new highest flood level (HFL) of 43.21 metres, nearly two metres above the danger level (DL), at Hathidah of Mokama and maintained the rising trend at Patna and elsewhere on Friday, department officials said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar conducts a survey of flood-affected area in Chapra on Friday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

The gushing currents of a swollen Ganga have flooded riverine areas of Patna, Chapra and Vaishali districts, and those in Bhagalpur, Buxar and Bhojpur in the past 24 hours, as the river’s water level rose by 9-27 cm compared to Thursday.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has issued an “extreme” flood alert for the Ganga stretch from Barh in Patna to Barahiya in Begusarai, where the river kept on rising after jumping the HFL.

Officials said more than 22 lakh population in various districts of north and central Bihar have been impacted due to the current spell of floods from Ganga and its tributaries like Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Kamla, Khiroi, Gandak, Sone, Kosi and Punpun, which continued to flow about the DL at different locations.

WRD secretary Sanjeev Hans, however, ruled out any immediate threat of flooding in Patna, saying that the river was still flowing below the HFL of 2016. Likewise, situation with Sone and Punpun is also under control, he said. “WRD officials have been asked to stay prepared to meet any eventuality in Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Chapra, Vaishali, Katihar and Bhagalpur districts, though,” Hans said.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, visited flooded areas of Patna, Saran and Bhojpur along with officials of WRD and its minister Sanjay Kumar Jha. Senior officials of disaster management and road construction departments also accompanied him. He also inspected a few flood relief camps and enquired about the facilities provided to the persons sheltered there. The officials manning the camps have also been told to ensure strict adherence to the Covid safety protocols.

In Patna, timely intervention of WRD engineers averted a possible flooding in western part of the city from Patna canal, which originates from Sone in Aurangabad and terminates in Ganga near Digha. Panic prevailed in Danapur and Digha localities after western embankment of the canal developed seepages due to excessive water load.

According to WRD date, Ganga was flowing 83 cm above the DL at Buxar, 1.16 m Digha, 1.63 m at Gandhi Ghat, 1.45 m at Hathidah (all in Patna district), 42 cm at Munger, 73 cm at Bhagalpur and 1.09 m at Kahalgaon.

Sone was flowing 1.2 m above the DL at Maner, Gandak nearly 5 m at Dumariaghat in Gopalganj, and Kosi was flowing nearly 1m above the DL at Baltara in Khagaria.

Ganga above danger level (Aug 13)

Patna

Digha: 116 cm

Gandhi Ghat: 163 cm

Hathidah: 145 cm

Rest of Bihar

Buxar: 83 cm

Munger: 42 cm

Bhagalpur: 73 cm

Kahalgaon: 109 cm

Source: Water resources dept