PATNA/BAGAHA: Even as parts of Gandak and other river basins have been reeling from floods, the threat of severe flood suddenly shifted on Friday to the north Bihar districts lying in the basins of Mahananda, Kamla and Bagmati rivers, water resources department (WRD) sources said.
The shift has taken place as the catchment areas of the three rivers in Nepal are expected to be further lashed by moderate to heavy rainfall over the next 36 hours, along with abnormally heavy rainfall at some places.
“The Mahananda, Kamla and Bagmati rivers are on spate. Their basins face the abrupt threat of flood since their catchment areas in Nepal have received moderate to heavy rainfall on Friday and the trend is expected to continue through Saturday,” a WRD official said.
He added the Nepal-based catchment areas of Gandak at Sibling on the west received 252mm rainfall on Thursday, while the catchment areas of Mahananda in eastern Nepal recorded 125mm rainfall the same day at Chandragarhi airport area near Jhapa. “Most areas have been receiving moderate to heavy rainfall,” he added.
The flood bulletin released by the WRD has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall in slightly over 14 districts in Bihar for Saturday. “So far, the rainfall received by the eastern districts in the northern parts of the state is less than their normal share in June. The rainfall share in the western districts is much more than the normal rainfall in June. While north Bihar districts have been rattled by flood threat, the rainfall forecast in south Bihar for Saturday is zero,” the WRD official added.
Meanwhile, of the major rivers, the water discharge through Gandak was falling, but increasing gradually in the Kosi river. On the other hand, the Ganga is flowing below the danger level at most places because the south Bihar districts encompassing the basins of North Koel, Sone, Punpun and Phalgu have not received heavy rainfall.
Bagmati was flowing above the danger mark at most places, and Burhi Gandak at Sikandarpur, Samastipur and Rosera. Similarly, Kamla Balan was flowing above the danger level at Jainagar and Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district.
In West Champaran district, heavy rain in the catchment areas of the Gandak, Bhapsa, Kosil, Haraha, Manor, Masan, Pandai, Karhatawa, Oria, Gad, Kharahatawa Maniyari, Harbora, Sikarahana and Doharum rivers have caused inundation in about 250 villages of Sikta, Mainatar, Gaunaha, Majhaulia, Narakatiaganj, Nautan, Bairia, Jogapati, Ramnagar, Bagaha-1, Bagaha-2, Piparasi Madhubani, Bhitaha and Thakaraha blocks.
Farmers in West Champaran district are concerned as their paddy seedlings have been washed away. The fear is that the paddy transplantation coverage will be only around 40-45% of the area.
Several panchayats have remained cut off from the sub-divisional headquarters Narakatiaganj. Due to the incessant rain, the approach road of Gandak Setu under Nadi police station near Nainaha dhala has been damaged.
Thousands of vehicles were seen stranded along both ends of the bridge. The Bagaha sub-divisional hospital and the low-lying localities are under ankle to knee-deep water. Floodwaters overtopped Bagaha-Valmikinagar state highway near Hardiyachati under Naurangia police station.
In Sitamarhi, all the major rivers were flowing above danger marks on Friday. The incessant rain in Nepal’s catchment areas have added to the woes of people in the district. The district administration is keeping strict vigil on the embankments of the Bagmati, Lalbakeya, Lakhandei, Jhim, Rato and Marar rivers. Sitamarhi DM Sunil Kumar Yadav visited several embankments this week.
The worst affected low-lying localities facing waterlogging in Sitamarhi are Raghunathpuri, Aadarsh Nagar, Pratap Nagar, Mirchayipatti and Raghunath Jha College. People in these areas have started vacating their houses and shifting to safer places.
