Flood alert sounded in Gopalganj, West Champaran as Gandak in spate

PATNA/BAGAHA: Incessant rain over the last three days in Nepal and the state has resulted in sudden rise in water level of the Gandak and caused flood-like situation in West Champaran and Gopalganj districts. The DMs of the two districts have sounded an alert in the blocks vulnerable to floods. The villagers have been asked to move to safer places.
Water resources department (WRD) minister Sanjay Kumar Jha said a flood-like situation was prevailing in the basins of several rivers.He added the rain would continue to lash the parts of the state for a month.
While the water discharge through the Valmiki Nagar barrage across the Gandak was 1.97 lakh cusecs on Thursday afternoon, it increased to 4.04 lakh cusecs in the morning on Friday. The water discharge remained steady till around 10am and then fell to 3.72 lakh cusecs, followed by 3.47 lakh cusecs in the afternoon.
Gandak barrage assistant engineer Kripanath Pathak said all the 36 gates of the barrage were opened in the morning to facilitate continued discharge of water.
The Jhandutola border outpost camp of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) had two to three-feet deep water on its campus. The floodwaters have also entered lower parts of Bagaha town, besides entering Chakadahawa, Bintoli and Jhanduatola villages of Lakshmipur Rampurwa panchayat under the Valmiki Nagar police station.
West Champaran DM Kundan Kumar sounded an alert in all 18 blocks of the district following heavy rain and fresh release of water from the Valmiki Nagar barrage. The rise in the water level of Gandak Bhapsa, Masan, Pandai and Shikarahana rivers has added to the concerns about the floods. The villagers have been asked to shift from the lower parts to safer areas in the blocks concerned.
Gopalganj DM also sounded an alert in the vulnerable blocks of the district. He assessed the situation of the embankments in Mangalpur and Bishunpur areas under the sadar block.
Meanwhile, Central Water Commission said the water level of the Gandak at Dumariaghat in Gopalganj district was 60cm above the danger level in the morning, and is expected to increase further by 23cm by Saturday morning or around 1 metre above the danger level.
The Bagmati, Kamla and Punpun were flowing above the danger level at most places along their downstream with the water level showing rising trend. On Thursday night, the water level of the Bagmati river had crossed the danger level all along its downstream in the range of 1.35 metres to 2.17 metres. However, on Friday, the level had fallen, but was showing the rising trend again on Friday.
Although the water discharge through Birpur barrage across Kosi river has not increased substantially, the three-day rainfall has led to swelling of several tributaries of the Kosi, posing flood threat to Purnia, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura districts. The water level of Mahananda had also not risen dramatically on Friday.