Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara: The Buxar-Koelwar embankment has not been completed even after after lapse of three decades due todilly dallying attitude of the officials though about 70,000 people are affected by flood every year. The Buxar-Koelwar dam was constructed about three decades ago but the Flood Control wing of the Water resources department has not provided sluice gate so far at different points. This causes havoc whenever there is flood. Even slightest rise in the water level of river Ganga poses a great threat to the people in the area.
A gap of about 1 kilometer between chain no 1600 and 2167 was left in Buxar-Koelwar embankment near Marchaiya Dera village under Shahpur block in Bhojpur district for setting of sluice gate but even after 30 years the sluice gate has not been fixed. As a result, residents of Lakshu Tola, Sarangpur, Suremanpur, Damodarpur, Jawaniya, Nand Lal ka Dera, Bhushula, Gangapur, Tikapur, Chakki Nauranga, Ram Dayal Thakur ka Dera, Kariman Thakur ke Dera, Bujha Rai ke Dera, Rajpur, Charghat, Chanaur, Lakshamanpur, Govindpur, Barisawan, Semaria, Pandeypur, Ratanpura, Laloo Dera, Suhia, Pipara, Horil Chhapara, Devmalpur, Ramkarahi, Saiya, Marchaiya, Madhopur, Kashi Dera and other villages under Shahpur block suffer during flood which destroys their standing crops. In 2013, over 20 panchayat of Shahpur block were badly affected by flood and over half a dozen people lost their lives. Standing crops in over two thousand acres of land were also damaged.