Incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has led to the rivers flowing above danger level at several places. The flood water has entered into as many as 100 villages affecting more than 50,000 people in six districts which include Araria, Katihar, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Munger and Supaul. No causality has been reported yet and villagers are shifted to safer places.
Most of the rivers are in spate and a flood situation has developed in the Kosi-Seemanchal region. A government school in Katihar has been submerged in the Mahananda river and many roads in these districts have been destroyed.
The rise and fall in the water level of the river continues since Saturday, whereas an embankment breached in Pipra due to which water has spread to nearby villages in Araria creating a flood like situation. Flood situation prevails in more than a dozen villages due to the spread of Parman river water.
EDITORIAL | Flood feud: On lessons from the floods in North India
Farmers are affected the most as paddy sowing has come to a standstill due to water-logging in the fields. Paddy crops and other pulses are destroyed. Similar situation is there in Katihar as well after water level of all major rivers flowing above danger mark.
Though the water level of Mahananda river decreased on Sunday afternoon, the water level is still flowing above the danger mark at most places. According to the report released by the Flood Control Division on Sunday evening, the water level of Mahananda river has decreased in Jhaua, Baharkhal, Azamnagar, Dhabol and Kursela. Meanwhile, the water level at Durgapur and Govindpur area has increased.
Due to the increase in the water level of Mahananda river, flood water has started spreading in the surrounding low-lying areas including Kadwa and Azamnagar. Paddy and Makhana are getting damaged in this area.
EXPLAINED | Explained | North India’s monsoon mayhem is a confluence of factors
In Katihar,the water level of river Ganga is increasing at Ramayanapur and Kadhagola Ghat. The way it is raining erratically the possibility of flood cannot be ruled out. Flood situation has now developed in Purnia as well. River in spate has wreaked havoc in 9 panchayats of Amour block. Water is flowing above 2 to 3 feet on the road.
More than 1.5 lakh cusecs of water were released in the Kosi River from Kosi barrage in the last four days. A flood-like situation in the Kosi region has arisen as many villages are located at the embankment. Many roads have been cut off due to flood water and people have started using country made boats for the purpose of transportation.
The havoc of the Kosi river is also being seen in Bhagalpur’s Kadwa Diyara, a remote village of Navgachia subdivision of the district as severe erosion is going on since last one week. Several acres of agricultural land have submerged in the Kosi river, while dozens of houses are on the verge of being submerged. After continuous rains, the water level of the river Ganga is also increasing and water has started entering the low-lying areas. Its impact is visible in Munger and Khagaria as the crops are damaged. The people living in the low-lying areas of Khagaria have also started shifting to higher places.
A senior official of the Bihar disaster management department said, “We have given instructions to the concerned officials to make all possible arrangements for the people affected from the flood water. Adequate forces of NDRF and SDRF have been deployed at all vulnerable places to deal with an untoward incident.”
With the rising water level of Bagmati in Samastipur, erosion has started at many places. The new pilot channel built near the Dumariya Ghat bridge in Gopalganj was opened on Sunday evening amid rising water level.
The official of the water resource department said that engineers are camping near the embankment across state and have been asked to be alert in case of any breach.
