Patna: Floodwaters inundated parts of 18 panchayats under Katra block in Muzaffarpur district on Sunday as the Bagmati river’s water level surged, crossing the danger mark. Villages on both sides of the river experienced knee-deep water in houses and schools, forcing the closure of schools.
Katra block circle officer Madhumita Kumari said block personnel were assessing the situation and that all necessary assistance, including relief materials, would be provided.She said five boats had been allocated to three panchayats, with more to follow.
According to the standard operating procedure, village ward members will prepare lists of flood-affected families to ensure relief materials are distributed appropriately.
Although most rivers in north Bihar were below the danger level, the Bagmati river’s water level rose sharply due to upstream flows. On Sunday, it was flowing 1.29cm above the danger level at Kataunjha and around 1cm at Benibad. The previous day, it was 1cm above the danger mark at Kataunjha and 18mm at Benibad, according to the water resources department flood bulletin.
Despite the generally lower levels, the strong currents were eroding riverbanks, causing the loss of arable land and even some hamlets in certain areas.
Many schools in those areas have been filled with floodwater, disrupting the studies of hundreds of children.
“When the water in the Bagmati river rises, floods like this happen at the school. We were present at the school on time, and children also arrived on time, but there is water at knee level. We have informed the authorities concerned about the situation and have given the kids a holiday. We will proceed according to the further orders of the authorities,” said a school staffer.
Water has also entered more than hundreds of houses in Barri and Basghatta panchayats. At the same time, there is rapid land erosion happening on the old embankment of the West Bagmati river from Gangia to Bakuchi Chowk.
Expressing distress, a flood-affected villager said, “We are making food in the water; children are starving; our house is full of water; we are scared of snakes, but we don’t have a choice. No one from the administration has come here.”
“The floodwater has entered our house for four days. Our stove has been drowned, and somehow we are preparing food to satisfy the hunger of children. This situation happens every year during floods,” said another villager.
(With agency inputs)

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