Patna: Farmers in north Bihar’s top 10 paddy-producing districts have heaved a sigh of relief as the immediate flood threat from the Gandak, Kosi, Ganga and other major rivers flowing through the region appears to have largely receded.The districts are West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Supaul, Madhepura, Purnia, Araria and Katihar, which together account for a substantial share of paddy production in the region.People in West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur, besides Gopalganj, Saran and Vaishali, had faced heightened fears over the past three days following an unprecedented inflow of water from Nepal on Wednesday. The sudden surge had put the govt and departments concerned on alert to deal with a possible flood crisis. However, the immediate threat now appears to have passed.According to the water resources department’s flood bulletin issued on Friday, water discharge through the Gandak’s Valmikinagar barrage remained steady at 99,800 cusecs for 11 hours, from 2 am to 1 pm. It then rose to 1.02 lakh cusecs at 2 pm and remained steady at that level thereafter.Despite the relief, farmers continue to watch the Gandak closely, fearing a possible fresh rise in its water level. Their concern, however, has increasingly shifted from flooding to soil erosion along the banks of swollen rivers.Water discharge through the Kosi’s Birpur barrage also declined, falling from 1.48 lakh cusecs on Thursday to 1.34 lakh cusecs by Friday afternoon. The Ganga, too, showed signs of easing. It was flowing below the danger level at Digha in Patna, while its water level had fallen at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah.Similarly, water discharge through the Sone’s Indrapuri barrage, from where the river eventually joins the Ganga at Maner near Patna, fell from a high of 1.34 lakh cusecs to 86,080 cusecs. Most other rivers were also flowing below danger levels.The reduced discharge has prevented the Ganga from reaching alarming levels, except in parts of the northern diara areas of Bhagalpur and Begusarai, where ring bunds were breached by floodwaters.The situation has brought considerable relief to farmers in Katihar’s Amdabad, Manihari and Mansahi blocks, where paddy crops have so far escaped damage from the Ganga’s floodwaters.“This season, our paddy crop is safe and we hope to have good harvests two months later,” Siwan Chandra, a farmer from Amdabad block, said.
