GANGA CROSSED THE DANGER MARK

GANGA CROSSED THE DANGER MARK

4-AUG-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR------------------------The water level of the Ganga river in Buxar, Bihar has crossed the danger mark and is continuously rising. 32 ghats have been submerged, water has entered many villages. The administration has issued an alert expressing apprehension of floods.

The water level of the Ganga river in Buxar district of Bihar is continuously rising and on Sunday it crossed the red danger mark. Due to this, all 32 ghats of the city have been completely submerged. The residential area situated on the banks of most of the ghats including Ramrekha Ghat has now come directly under the grip of flood water, which has deepened the crisis in the coastal areas.

According to the Central Water Commission, the water level of the Ganga is rising rapidly due to continuous rain in the district for the last few days and increased water flow in the upper catchment areas of the Ganga. At 11 am on Sunday, the water level of the Ganga crossed the danger mark of 60.32 meters. The water level is increasing by 1 cm per hour and by evening it had reached 60.49 meters. The district administration has estimated that the water level may reach 60.85 meters by the afternoon of August 5.

Water pressure has also increased at many places on the Buxar-Koilwar embankment. Canals and tributaries are in spate in Shivpuri, Mathia turn and surrounding areas. This has further increased the risk of embankment breaking. In view of the possibility of flood, the administration has issued helpline number 06183-223333 for assistance in emergency situations.

Flood water has entered Mahaji Dera village of Jahin Diyar Panchayat. Paddy and vegetable crops are getting destroyed due to waterlogging in the fields. Local BDC representative Munna Yadav said that every year this panchayat has to suffer huge losses due to floods. The villagers have demanded relief camps, arrangement of boats, and compensation from the administration.

The continuous rise in the water level of the Ganges has brought back horrific memories of the catastrophic floods of 2017 among the people of the Diara region. At that time, the floods caused widespread loss of life and property. This time too, the villagers are taking precautionary measures like moving to higher places and packing essential items in advance.

The rising water level of the Ganges in Buxar district remains a matter of concern for both the administration and the public. Preparations for relief work have been started by the administration, but if this sequence of rain and water level rise continues, the flood situation may become more serious.