Bihar Flood Crisis Deepens: Rising Ganga Waters Wash Away Villages, Trigger Social Emergency; Life At A Halt
In Masadhun village of Bhagalpur, the floods have left behind a grim social crisis. With many homes swallowed by the Ganga, and families are breaking apart.
Local resident Rakesh Mandal shared: 'My brother Prashant's wife left him and their four-year-old daughter after our house was washed away. Now, the child is being raised by her grandmother while Prashant works at a brick kiln to support the family.'
Saroj Devi explained that they had built a small two-room house after years of working in kilns, only to see it vanish in the floods. Now, her son is of marriageable age, but: 'Who will marry him when we don't even have a home for the bride to come to?'
Mamlakha Panchayat Mukhiya Abhishek Mandal called it a 'social emergency', demanding a special rehabilitation scheme for such flood-ravaged villages to restore dignity and stability to these families.
While anti-erosion work has been done post last year's erosion, many displaced families have not received the compensation promised by the government, forcing them to live in makeshift huts with no land to rebuild.
As floodwaters rise in Danapur and other Diara areas of Patna and Saran, respectively, BLOs and teachers are risking their lives to carry out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Mahendra Pratap Sinha, a BLO and teacher, described: 'The roads and bridges are submerged. The boat sways dangerously in the strong currents, but we have no choice.'
Danapur Circle Officer Chandan Kumar confirmed that 50 BLOs are working daily in the Diara area, crossing the Ganga by boat.
"Amid the rising water levels, BLOs are ensuring the revision work is completed as per government guidelines. Their dedication is commendable. The district administration is providing life jackets to each of the BLOs,' Kumar said.
In Munger, the Ganga has reached 38.49 meters, just a meter below the danger mark, submerging low-lying areas in Bariyarpur and threatening connectivity to villages like Raghunathpur and Ekaashi Tola.
In Khagaria, floodwaters have entered various villages and inundated schools, halting classes for students.
Teachers, however, are still required to report to these waterlogged schools, risking their lives by using boats.
Teacher Madhukar Kumar, who is disabled, expressed fear: 'If the boat sinks, I won't survive.'
Teacher Rajesh Kumar added, 'Earlier, schools would remain closed during floods, and we would compensate by teaching during summer vacation. That system made more sense.'
Following rising concerns, District Education Officer Amarendra Kumar Gond has directed block officers to depute teachers of flood-affected schools to safer schools, but many teachers still brave floodwaters daily.
In Patna's Diara region, Ganga's water level is above the danger mark, flooding low-lying areas and submerging roads, forcing residents to rely on boats while fearing further escalation.
At Digha Ghat, the Ganga is 13 cm above the danger mark, while at Gandhi Ghat, it is 53 cm above, causing floodwaters to rapidly spread across Diara, Maner, Danapur, Fatuha, Bakhtiyarpur, and Daniyawan.
While the floods in Bihar are not new, the human suffering they leave behind is deepening, with homes lost, marriages stalled, and lives at risk daily.
Families wait for government rehabilitation and compensation, while teachers and BLOs continue their duties amid swirling waters.
'This is not just a flood issue, it is a humanitarian crisis,' a local leader emphasised.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi to host NDA parliamentary meet on Tuesday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the BJP-led NDA parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, a get-together of the ruling alliance's MPs which is being held after a considerable gap. The prime minister is also likely to be felicitated by the parliamentary party over his government's military response to the terror strike.(ANI) The NDA meeting comes a couple of days before the filing of nomination for vice president's election begins from August 7. The NDA will have to announce its candidate, whose election will be a certainty due to the alliance's majority in the electoral college, by August 21, the last date of nomination-filing and the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The meeting comes in the middle of a session which has been all but a washout so far, except for a two-day discussion on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, due to a united Opposition's ceaseless protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar by the Election Commission. PM Modi is expected to speak on a host of current issues as the Opposition has been raising the heat over the poll body's alleged partisan conduct favouring the government, and the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The prime minister is also likely to be felicitated by the parliamentary party over his government's military response to the terror strike. The electoral college for the vice president poll includes MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and its current strength is 782. If the Opposition also names a candidate, a distinct possibility, then the poll is scheduled to be held on September 9. Since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP lost its majority but comfortably crossed the halfway mark with allies, the sessional meeting of the party's MPs was expanded to include its allies. PM Modi had addressed the first such meeting on July 2. However, no meeting has been held in the last few sessions. Before the last national elections, he used to address the weekly meetings of BJP parliamentary party, now expanded to include party's allies such as the TDP, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas). The meeting is attended by MPs of the ruling alliance, and PM Modi often covers a sweep of political and governance issues, and at times touches on the government's agenda in Parliament. He often offers to the MPs talking points to be raised in public, especially their constituencies.
Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- Indian Express
In major reshuffle for TMC, Abhishek Banerjee given charge as Lok Sabha leader, Kakali replaces Kalyan as new Chief Whip
In a significant reshuffle of the Trinamool Congress party, Chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced that Abhishek Banerjee will take over as the party's Lok Sabha leader until veteran MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who currently holds the role, 'becomes fully fit'. Kakali Ghosh Dastidar will replace Kalyan Banerjee as Chief Whip. The announcement came during a virtual meeting of TMC MPs, who gathered at the party's new office on Rajendra Prasad Road in New Delhi. According to sources, Mamata Banerjee expressed her unhappiness over the party's recent coordination in Parliament and performance in the Lok Sabha. 'She said Abhishek Banerjee will lead the party in the Lok Sabha until Sudip Bandyopadhyay becomes fully fit. Kakali Ghosh Dastidar will oversee daily coordination,' said a senior MP present at the meeting. Bandyopadhyay, who is 76, had not been attending Parliament regularly in recent times. Mamata also referred to recent controversies involving Mahua Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee, and Kirti Azad. She indicated that in the absence of senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Sougata Roy, Kalyan Banerjee had been entrusted with coordinating parliamentary affairs — a responsibility she believes he failed to discharge effectively. After the meeting, Kalyan Banerjee denied being removed, telling his close circle that he had resigned. A senior TMC MP said, 'Abhishek Banerjee had talked to Kalyan Banerjee and requested him to hold off on the decision.' Kalyan Banerjee told mediapersons, 'Abhishek Banerjee talked to me 10 minutes earlier.' He added, 'What will I do if the majority of MPs are regularly absent in Parliament? Does Mamata Banerjee know how the daily work of Parliament is going? If the party would not have taken steps, what would I do? I did maximum work but I am not a scholar from Oxford, Cambridge. I do not wear expensive sarees. Those who criticise Mamata Banerjee, they get rewarded.' At the meeting, Mamata Banerjee also instructed MPs to raise their voice against alleged harassment of Bengalis in BJP-ruled states and to oppose the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. She also advised MPs to actively participate in INDIA bloc meetings.
India Today
12 minutes ago
- India Today
AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj slams Election Commission: Behaving like BJP cell head
AAP leader and Delhi state president Saurabh Bhardwaj has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India, accusing it of acting like an extension of the ruling BJP. His remarks came in response to the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar and the statements made by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).advertisementBhardwaj alleged that the current CEC is functioning more like a spokesperson for the BJP rather than a neutral constitutional authority."The Chief Election Commissioner is issuing statements as if he were the head of a BJP cell. It is clear that the Modi government has appointed its 'yes man' as the CEC, someone who beats the drum for them everywhere," he said. Criticising the process of the CEC's appointment, Bhardwaj said, 'The way the government appoints bureaucrats after retirement makes it obvious, it's a reward system. Once retired, these officers get a lottery in the form of government perks, cars, bungalows, and influence. In return, they echo the government's line.'In a sharp jibe, Bhardwaj advised the CEC to seek inspiration from former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan, who is widely remembered for his integrity and fearless conduct."The CEC should hang a picture of TN Seshan in his office and look at it every morning and evening. Maybe that will purify his thoughts and remind him of what the post truly demands," he remarks add to the growing political heat over the voter list revision exercise in Bihar, which the opposition has alleged is being manipulated to favour the ruling BJP. The Election Commission, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing.- Ends
