Devastating floods turn villages into islands in North Bihar

Patna, Sep 30 (IANS) The excessive rainfall in Nepal’s catchment areas has caused widespread flooding in several districts of North Bihar, turning many villages into isolated islands.

One of the severely affected areas is West Champaran district, where the water from the Harboda River has flooded over a dozen villages in Madhopur and Guanaha Panchayats. Villagers are struggling to cope with the situation and are desperately demanding government aid, which has not yet reached them.

In Madhopur Panchayat’s ward number 6, flooding has submerged everything under four to five feet of water, making it impossible for villagers to access food for themselves and fodder for their cattle.

Ranu Mishra, the representative of the village body, expressed the community's distress, noting that the lack of boats has left them without any means of transportation.

“We are pleading with the district administration to at least provide boats if food grains cannot be supplied immediately,” Mishra said.

The situation highlights the urgent need for government intervention to provide relief, such as food, boats, and other essentials, to ensure that these flood-affected communities receive the necessary assistance to survive.

The floodwaters from rivers like the Gandak and Bagmati have inundated multiple regions, causing widespread devastation.

In West Champaran's Yogapatti block, Janakpur and Futwaria Panchayats are flooded by the Gandak River, while Gopalganj has seen areas like Jigri Tola, Mungraha, Malahi Tola, and Rajwahi village completely cut off from the mainland due to floodwaters.

Farmers, like Ashok Thakur, are facing immense hardship as their paddy, maize, and sugarcane crops have been destroyed.

“Rain doesn't usually come in September, and this unexpected downpour has devastated us,” Ashok lamented.

He emphasized that many farmers had borrowed money for their crops, and the floods had broken their financial stability, making urgent government assistance crucial. The demand for adequate compensation from the government is growing, as farmers have lost not only their crops but also their livelihoods.

The situation has been aggravated by the breaching of embankments at multiple locations.

In West Champaran's Bagaha block, the Gandak River has broken through embankments, while the Bagmati River has caused breaches in Sitamarhi district, particularly at Bensand block and Runni Saidpur block, where embankments have collapsed in three places. Further breaches were reported in Kharauha, Rupauli, and Madhkaul villages. In Sheohar district, the embankment along the Bagmati River at Tariyani Chhapra has also collapsed worsening the flood impact.

The breaking of embankments has significantly contributed to the worsening flood conditions, increasing the urgency for governmental action to repair these structures and provide immediate relief to the affected population.

In Darbhanga, the flood situation has worsened after the embankment at Badaul village in Kiratpur block was breached due to the strong water flow from the Kosi River. The breach has caused severe flooding in Kiratpur and Ghanshyampur blocks, with around 25 villages now submerged.

Despite efforts by the district administration, including the District Magistrate (DM), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), and officials from the Water Resource and Disaster Management departments, the embankment could not withstand the powerful water current and broke on Monday morning.

Umesh Kumar, the SDO of Darbhanga (Sadar), said they are continuously monitoring embankments and alerting people through loudspeakers to prepare for potential danger.

Rajiv Roshan, the District Magistrate of Darbhanga, stated, “The district is on high alert, with clear instructions given to all officers to regularly monitor the embankments and ensure that government aid reaches the flood-affected communities. Food grain and other essential supplies are being distributed in impacted areas such as Bilaur, Ghanshyampur, Taurabora, and other panchayats inundated by the Kosi River floodwaters.”