Bihar: Many villages in Bagaha, Khagaria and Darbhanga under floodwaters

BAGAHA/KHAGARIA/DARBHANGA: Widespread rain and 1.70 lakh cusecs of water discharge from Valmikinagar barrage on Sunday afternoon spread over the Gandak riverine areas under Piparasi, Madhubani, Bhitaha, Thakaraha, Bagaha-1 and Bagaha-2 blocks in West Champaran district.
Incessant rain in the catchment areas during the last few days and rising trends of Kosi, Bagmati and Ganga rivers disrupted road communication and damaged standing crops over hundreds of acres in the riverine areas across Khagaria district.
Altogether 30 panchayats of Keoti, Hayaghat; Gaurabaram, Ghanshyampur, Kiratpur and Kusheshwar Sthan (East) in Darbhanga remained flooded, affecting 1.57 lakh population in 119 villages.
Villagers of Jhandu Tola, Bintoli and Chakadahawa of Lakshmipur panchayat under Bagaha-2 block were taking shelter on the embankment. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) border outpost camp at Jhandu Tola near India-Nepal border is still submerged under 3 feet Gandak floodwaters, said Gulab Ansari of Lakshmipur Rampurwa panchayat. Over 100 hectares of crops in Tamkuhi, Jharmahuyee and Ajamalnagar villages were submerged under floodwaters. Flood fighting division of Bettiah is yet to start anti-erosion work near Jharmahuyee under Salaha Bariyarawa panchayat despite an assurance given by West Champaran DM Kundan Kumar, said its former sarpanch Nazere Emam.
Motipur mukhiya Surendar Yadav said many were suffering from fever and cold. Floodwaters also entered into Shripatinagar and Sathi Tola under Semra-Labdeha panchayat.
People of Chiurahi and Shrinagar panchayats were surrounded by Gandak floodwaters.
Floodwaters of the Ganga entered Banni, Jhiktiya, Borna, Bhadlaiya and Rampur villages under Gogri block in Khagaria. “Farmers are compelled to use standing maize crops as animal fodder,” rued Lakshmi Devi, mukhiya of Banni panchayat. The district faces the wrath of Kosi, Bagmati, Kali Kosi, Ganga, Burhi Gandak, Kareh and Kamla Balan rivers every year. “This time the area has been flooded in July itself, instead of August,” said Prabhakar Singh of Haiti under Chauthm block.
The swollen Kosi posed a serious erosion threat to Beerwas village under Pasraha police station. Brahamdeo Sharma, Ranjit Sharma, Sikand Sharma, Medni Sharma and Rohit Sharma among others said their houses and cultivable land had already been eroded, compelling them to take shelter on the embankment.
The floodwaters of Kosi and Bagmati also entered Dighaun, Etmadi, Chorhli, Kanjri, Kurban, Balaitha, Mehnathnagar and Pirnagra panchayats under Beldaur block and many villages under Chautham block.
Khagaria DM Alok Rajan Ghosh said all the embankments under the jurisdiction of flood control division 1 & 2 were safe. He said the district administration was alert for any eventuality.
According to Darbhanga district disaster management wing, community kitchens are being run at seven places. Altogether 1,181 people were staying in two camps as their houses remained inundated. The district administration claimed that 122 boats, including 99 private ones, have been pressed into service. Ghanshyampur block CO Deenanath Kumar said though water was receding, still people were being fed at four community kitchens in the block. DM Thiyagarajan SM has asked all the senior officers to visit the affected areas and monitor the situation.