Thousands displaced in Samastipur, Khagaria, Saran

SAMASTIPUR/CHHAPRA/KHAGARIA: Flood situation in Samastipur, Saran and Khagaria remained grim on Saturday. One Mohammad Sah Alam (45) drowned in the floodwaters at Singhia in Samastipur as rivers Bagmati, Kareh, Kamla Balan and Jeewachch were in spate for the third consecutive day.
The worst affected blocks were Kalyanpur, Bithan, Mohanpur, Singhia and Hasanpur in Samastipur.Thousands of people have shifted to the embankments after the swollen Burhi Gandak and Ganga displaced many in the district.
Samastipur DM Pranav Kumar said road communication was disrupted at several places. “Boats have been made available in these areas,” he said on Friday.
Dharmadeo Mishra of Bakhtiyarpur (Kalyanpur) said the villages affected by the Bagmati floods needed immediate relief but the district administration had done nothing so far. His co-villager Bishwanath Thakur said, “Five villages are inundated and the administration has not started any relief work in the area.”
People who were forced to take shelter on the incomplete Hasanpur-Sakri railway line are facing acute shortage of food and drinking water.
When contacted, Samastipur DRM R K Jain said, “Materials and manpower are kept ready and restoration work will be started as soon as the floodwaters start receding.”
Panapur was the worst affected block in Saran district. District administration sources said about 48,000 people were affected in Panapur, followed by 15,000 in Taraiya, 6,000 each in Mashrakh and Parsa and 3,000 in Maker. People of Dariapur block have also suffered in the floods.
Saran DM Harihar Prasad said on Saturday more than 73,000 people in eight blocks had been affected in the recent floods. “Total 19 relief camps in Panapur, two in Taraiya, three each in Mashrakh and Parsa have been opened to serve the flood-hit population,” the DM said.
Prasad said one Vivek Kumar Mahto of Rajdhani under Taraiya block died on Thursday and the process to pay compensation to his kin has been initiated. “Arrangements have been made for polythene, food packets, provision of temporary toilets, installation of handpumps, mobile dispensary and fodder for cattle in each block,” he said.
The floods affected over 70,000 people in 83 villages under 29 panchayats in Khagaria district. Khagaria DM Jai Singh, SP Meenu Kumari and SDM Amit Kumar Pandey told the media on Friday that the situation was under control.
The DM said at least 105 boats had been pressed into service in the affected areas while 106.62 quintals of chura, 29.25 quintals of rice and 3,339 food packets besides 960 polythene sheets were distributed among the 2,910 displaced families at various relief camps. Three deaths were reported from different parts of the district till Friday evening.