Bihar flood: Gandak river breaches embankment in Champaran, several villages inundated; 2000 rescued

Water from the river also submerged the state highway close to the embankment, said officials. Those rescued have been shifted to the safer place.

The turbulent Gandak river breached the embankment at a village in Sangrampur block of East Champaran district of Bihar on Thursday night, leaving several villages inundated.

NDRF personnel rescuing people in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Friday after the Gandak river breached an embankment. (HT Photo)

According to officials, following heavy pressure and high water current in the river, about 25 feet stretch of the main embankment was breached at Nihalu Tola in Sangrampur block, which falls under the Areraj sub-division of the district. “There is no loss of life reported from any part though six to seven villages have been affected after the breach of the embankment,” said Dhirendra Kumar Mishra, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Areraj.

“Teams of the NDRF rescued over 2,000 people from the affected villages in an operation which began at midnight,” said the SDM.

The Gandak river has turned turbulent following incessant downpour in the catchment area of Nepal and two districts of East and West Champaran, coupled with heavy discharge of water into the river from Valmikinagar barrage.

Locals said the seepage in the embankment was visible and it caved in around midnight on Thursday.

“According to the information available with us, Sikandarpur, Chandpur, Shyampur, Burwa, Bishrampur Dubaliya, Sareya Baduraha, Dumariya, Pakari, Bhawanipur are the villages in four panchayats were inundated by water in the block,” said Suresh Paswan, circle officer (CO), Sangrampur.

Water from the river also submerged the state highway (SH-74) close to the embankment, said officials.

At the time of filing this report, district magistrate Shrisat Kapil Ashok, SP Navin Chand Jha had reached the area to take stock of the situation.