Rivers overflowing, several villages inundated in West Champaran

Bagaha: Several villages in West Champaran district have been inundated with the increase in water-level of the Gandak and other hilly rivers due to heavy and continuous rain for the last two days. To add to the misery of people, around 2 lakh cusec of water was released from the Gandak barrage in Valmikinagar on Saturday. Thousands of acres of standing crops of maize, sugarcane, paddy, pulses and vegetables along the course of Gandak in Piparasi, Bhitaha, Madhubani, Thakaraha area have been submerged.
District administration sources said around 2,000 families living in the Gandak diara have been forced to leave their houses and they have taken shelter on high land areas.
A report reaching here from Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), on Indo-Nepal border, the left bank embankment of Burhi Gandak river is under threat at Chunbhatta under Valmikinagar forests range and Kanti sub-beat of Madanpur forests range due to erosion. “The embankment has been exposed due to largescale illegal sand mining near Shripatinagar village under Piparasi circle and Shastrinagar under Bagaha-I circle. The river is gradually changing its course towards Nagahi, Kuyari Gandak diara and Bagaha Nagar Parishad at Goriapatti,” said sources.
“Pipara-Piparasi right Gandak protection embankment, along Bihar-UP border in under threat at many places. Dulari retired line of Chilawania panchayat under Bhitaha block is also under threat due to rising water level,” said sources adding Bagaha town protection embankment work on the left bank of the Gandak at Mangalpur and Kalighat of Bagaha town however has been completed .
“People living near the banks of the river are panicky,” said Rabindra Pandey a resident of Mangalpur village. Daya Shanker of Bagaha town has alleged that Bagaha town left bank of Gandak protection embankment is under risk near Goriapatti. A bridge near Mangalpur village under Bagaha-II block has been flooded.