Flood situation grim in Gopalganj after Nepal releases 3.5lakh cusec water into Gandak river

The flood situation in Bihar has become grim as Nepal continues to receive heavily rainfall in the last few days. Due to heavy rains in the Himalayan Kingdom, several districts in Bihar, neighbouring Nepal have been hit by flood, displacing many. Only in Gopalganj district of Bihar, where the Gandak river is flowing at almost danger level, more than one lakh people have been hit by floods.

To make matters worse for the state, Nepal on Tuesday discharged 3.5 lakh cusec of water into the Gandak river.

INDIA TODAY AT GROUND ZERO

India Today in a bid to get a ground sense travelled to Gopalganj district where Gandak river is swelling with each passing hour.

India Today reached the Barai Patti Panchayat which houses 22 villages, all of which are now hit by flood. All these 22 villages are located in low lying areas in the Gandak and therefore was the first to be affected. In every household in these flood hit villages, water has entered affecting almost 1 lakh people. Several people have managed to save their lives escaping from the area on time but many are still trapped and most of them not willing to leave their houses and move to safer plakhes.

Sona Lal Mahto, flood victim from Nawada village said, "We are stuck here for three days. Few members of the house have gone to safer plakhes. Someone has to stay to take care of house. We are compelled to stay here. We are suffering like this for last three days buts its only today that we have got something to eat from the govt. I don't know whether help will come again or not".

VICTIM'S PLIGHT

Similar is the story of Sanjay, another flood victim from Barai Patti village. Sanjay said, "Water has entered our houses and there is no place for us to live. We are going on the embankment for safety".

The Bihar government had on Tuesday itself announced that the situation in Gopalganj was alarming and the district was put on high alert following discharge of water from Nepal. The Bihar govt had rushed 150 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to Gopalganj to help evacuate people from the flood affected areas and shift them to safer plakhes. Altogether, 6 out of 14 blocks in Gopalganj are flood hit. The worst affected blocks are Kuchay Kot, Gopalganj, Manjha, Barauli, Sidwaliya and Baikunthpur.

GOVERNMENT RELIEF

Senior officials of Gopalganj including the District Magistrate on Tuesday had himself conducted survey of the affected areas and ordered providing relief and food packets to the affected people immediately.

"In 6 blocks, due to excessive discharge of water from Nepal, food water has entered the villages. Several people who have pucca houses are still trapped in their house. We have supplied food packets to affected people. Situation is alarming at the moment", said Mrityunjay Kumar, Gopalganj SDO.

"Three teams of NDRF are working in Gopalganj at the moment. Evacuation process is low as people are not willing to leave their houses but we are helping the govt in distribution of relief and food packets to affected people. Water level in Gandak has risen and it is likely to increase further", said K.K Jha, Deputy Commandant of NDRF.

As the situation on the ground remains grim, the flood victims are complaining that the govt's response to their apathy has been delayed.

Pappu from Nawada village said, "We are stuck here for last six days. We are facing lot of problem. If everyone goes to safer plakhes then all the material in the house will submerge under water. There is no arrangement of boats also for us. We are not getting govt help for last three days".