E-Paper
Villagers take shelter on roads, higher ground, as rivers swell in north Bihar
In Sagauli and Banjariya blocks of Bihar’s East Champaran district, water has entered the low-lying areas in about two dozen villages
A large number of villagers on Monday took shelter on roads, embankments and other safe places amid fears of flooding in parts of East Champaran, Gopalganj and West Champaran districts in north Bihar, where water levels in rivers kept rising ominously, officials said on Monday.
In East Champaran’s Sangrampur block, a large number of villagers have taken shelter on roads, Champaran embankment and other higher grounds, while several families from Nautan block in West Champaran, too, have taken shelter on Champaran embankment with their livestock.
“You never know how things will pan out in the next few hours considering the way water level in the river is rising. Therefore, we have taken no risk with regard to the safety of our family members and livestock. Like many other co-villagers, we have put up our tent,” said Prahalad Yadav, who has taken shelter on a road in Sangrampur block.
Suresh Paswan, circle officer (CO), Sangrampur said the number of families taking shelter on the embankment and other places was between 50 and 60. “We will distribute raw food materials among them,” the circle officer said.
Nautan circle officer (West Champaran) said villages in Bishambharpur and Bhagawanpur panchayat were prone to flooding. “There is waterlogging in agricultural land there and the possibility of a few villages getting flooded cannot be ruled out if water level rises further. We have already alerted the residents of those villages,” said Bhaskar, the CO, who doesn’t use a surname.
In Sagauli and Banjariya blocks of East Champaran, water has entered the low-lying areas in about two dozen villages. “We are watchful. Need for evacuation has not arisen as yet,” Dharmendra Prasad Gupta, CO, Sagauli, said.
In East Champaran, major rivers like Gandak, Lalbakeya and Sikrahna continued to be in spate on Monday following the heavy discharge of water (3.53 cusec at 5pm on Monday) from Valmikinagar barrage and incessant rain in the catchment area of Nepal. Meanwhile, two drowning deaths were reported from different parts of the district.
In neighbouring West Champaran district, road link between Lauriya and Narkatiaganj has been disrupted with water from Sikarahana river flowing over the stretch of road at a diversion near Ashokan Pillar in Lauriya. The link between Sheohar and Motihari through Patahi is expected to be disrupted for the next few days, said Kumar Ravindra, sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Pakaridayal. The road transport was disrupted on Saturday with water submerging a stretch of road between Devapur and Belwaghat.
In Gopalganj district, several families in Baikunthpur, Gopalganj (Sadar), Barauli, Kuchaikote, Majha and Sidhawaliya blocks have also taken shelter on roads and other safer places following incessant rainfall and rise in water level in the Gandak river. “Around 200 people were shifted to safer places in Baikunthpur and Sidhawaliya each. Community kitchens are running at five places in the district,” said Birendra Prasad, additional district magistrate (ADM), in-charge of disaster management, Gopalganj.
The water in Gandak has risen around 3 inches above the danger level, he added.
The district administration, however, has ruled out any threat to the embankment. “Though the water level has risen in Gandak, it is static now. We are watchful,” said Dr Naval Kishor Choudhary, Gopalganj’s district magistrate (DM).
.
