Several Bhagalpur villages flooded following breach in embankment

Bhagalpur, Aug 20 (PTI) Several villages in Bihar's Bhagalpur district were flooded on Tuesday as a portion of the embankment was breached by river Ganga, officials said.

The officials said that the water of the river is receding and no casualty has been reported yet.

The affected villagers were shifted to safer places, they said.

According to a statement issued by the Water Resources Department (WRD), "continuous high-level of Ganga exerted pressure on protecting structures along its bank in Bhagalpur district. However, from August 19, the water level has started receding. As the water level started receding, the current of the river speeded up and damaged around 60 metres of the Ismailpur-Bindtoli embankment of the river Ganga".

"The incident caused a flood-like situation in Karari Teentanga, Budhchak and other surrounding areas of Gopalpur division. No casualty has been reported yet and villagers of the affected areas shifted to safer places", it said.

Bihar Water Resources Department minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said that following the breach in the embankment, necessary items have been brought from outside for immediate repair.

"Besides, two teams of senior WRD officials have also been sent to the spot for immediate repair and rescue measures", the minister said on Tuesday.

Officials said incessant rainfall in the state and in catchment areas of Nepal have led to the rivers flowing above danger level at several places.

Most of the rivers are in spate and flood like situation has developed in the Kosi-Seemanchal region, they said. PTI COR PKD RG