Fast erosion by Ganga posing threat to many villages in Bhojpur

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : A number of villages under Barhara and Shahpur blocks in Bhojpur district have either disappeared or may disappear soon due to erosion at high speed river Ganga but neither the State government nor the district administration appear serious to check the erosion. The officials only visit the sites whenever there is flood threat.

The existence of the Water Treatment Plant at village Mauzampur is also in danger as the Ganga is flowing just beside its boundarywall and if anti-erosion work is not undertaken on war footing at the earliest, it may disappear in the Ganga and in that case the people of the area will be destined to drink contaminated water mixed with arsenic. Thousands villagers under Barhara and Shahpur blocks of Bhojpur district are living in constant fear as the water of swollen Ganga has started entering several villages.

The erosion by Ganga, which started in 969, has so far engulfed Dasuchak, Gora Ka Dera, English Chain Chhapra, and other villages while Sohara, Tribhuani, Majhauli, Hetampur, Khawaspur, Nurpur, Gyanpur, Neknam Tola under Barhara block may meet the same fate. Thousands of displaced people of Sohara, Tribhuani, Hetampur, Majhauli are still living on the dams.

At present, the flood water has entered into the fields of Mauzampur, Nurpur, Bhaisahia, Dudhaha, Basantpur, Jagwalia under Barhara block, besides fields of villages located between Buxar-Koelwar dam like Damodarpur, Jawainiya, Gangapur, Nandpur, Bhusaula, Lakshsu Tola, Sarangpur, Suremanpur, Chakki, Nauranga, Laloo Ka Dera, under Shahpur block damaging the standing crops.

District Magistrate, Bhojpur, Sanjeev Kumar, said that a team of flood experts of the state government, and Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer, Flood Control, had visited Mauzampur and Piparpanti villages under  Barhara block to review the situation. The DM said erosion is going on 150m in length and 15m wide at Mauzampur and anti-erosion work has been ordered to check erosion. SDO, Ara, Arun Prakash, confirmed Ganga was flowing about 1 metere above the danger mark and said administration is helpless in doing anti-erosion work in the absence of any embankment in the two villages. The officials have tried to change the stream of the river by pitching GEO bags and bamboo rods.

Shiva Nath Singh, Baliram Singh, Harendra Singh of Mauzampur rued their faith saying neither the state government nor the district administration had paid any heed to their problem.

The DM said that tents will be set on Buxar-Koelwar dam and boats in sufficient numbers have been requisitioned in the flood affected areas. He also said that drinking water, fodder, doctors, food packets, medicine have been provided in the areas and officials had been asked to keep round the clock vigil. The DM said that 2 lakh Cusec water has been released from Bansagar Dam into river Sone causing concern to the people living near the river.

Likewise, the water level of river Sone is rising at a fast pace at Koelwar, Sandesh, Sahar blocks in Bhojpur district.  Sandesh BDO Bindu Kumar and CO Bachcha Prasad Chaudhary warned the people not to go near the river. They said that an elephant was trapped in the flood water at Baga Bhimapur village under Azimabad police station while grazing in the field and was swayed in the fast current but was later found at village Khandaul under Sandesh block on September 11, 2018. The elephant was handed over to its owner Janeshwar Rai of village Purhara under Chauri police station.