Water released from barrages swell rivers; Saharsa-Mansi railway line eroding
After heavy discharge of water from the Kosi barrage at Bhimnagar, Bihar, and at Barahkhetra in Nepal, the Bihar government has issued an alert to all flood control rooms in the Kosi catchment area. Round-the-clock monitoring of water discharged from the Kosi barrage has been initiated so as to enable safe evacuation of villagers in case of flood. Rivers in the region are close to the danger mark.
The situation was aggravated after nearly 3,511 cumec of water was released on the morning of June 30 from the Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak. Villagers started moving to the embankments after more than 5,097 cumec of water was again released from the same barrage that evening.
Almost 200 acres of land are inundated in Raghopur block in Supaul district. Kitadih village too is under water. Around 500 villagers have been evacuated to higher ground. In the Baikunthpur area of Gopalganj district, around 18 houses have been washed away by the river Gandak. The region is facing heavy erosion and flood control measures have been initiated.
Shakeel Mustafa, executive engineer of the flood control department, claims that 3,672 km of Kosi embankment faces no threat from the discharge of water. “Heavy water discharge created light flooding in villages, but the situation is under control,” he says. The flood-like situation improved after water discharge from the barrage was controlled and monsoon rains abated.
The railway line in the Saharsa-Mansi section faces the greatest threat from erosion. It has suffered erosion for the past two years, and the East Central Railways have initiated repair work in the affected tracks near Fango railway halt recently.
Himalayan catastrophe that engulfed North Bihar
The 18 August 2008 Kosi river breach
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