Patna/Bhagalpur: Three bunds in northern Bhagalpur were breached on Thursday night amid high water levels in the Ganga, Kosi and Burhi Gandak, adding to the flood crisis in eastern Bihar. Two breaches occurred in the old railway protection bund and another minor bund in Rangra block, while the third was reported in the Brahmottar bund in adjoining Gopalpur block.Floodwater entered around half a dozen villages in Rangra, while water from the Brahmottar bund threatened to overtop or damage PWD Road No. 14, which connects Bihpur and Gopalpur. WRD engineers and local teams worked to plug the breaches.The Kosi was flowing 1.28 metres above the danger level at Baltara in Khagaria and 1.57 metres above it at Kursela in Katihar. The Ganga was 37cm above the danger level at Munger, 82cm at Bhagalpur and 1.65 metres at Kahalgaon. While its level was falling in the upper reaches from Buxar to Hathidah, the floodwater was moving downstream towards eastern Bihar. The river was 49cm below the danger level at Buxar, but 57cm above it at Digha, 1.20 metres above the red mark at Gandhi Ghat and 1.24 metres above it at Hathidah.The Dhobaniya Zamindari dam on the Kalbaliya river in Rangra suffered a 20-foot breach around 4.30am on Friday, due to soil erosion. Floodwater spilled towards PWD Road No. 14, causing panic. Teams constructed barricades along the roadside, while sand-filled bags and plastic sheeting were deployed to reduce water pressure and erosion.Bhagalpur DM Alankrita Pandey said, “We are also continuously monitoring all vulnerable dams and embankments. Administrative officials and WRD engineers have been instructed to take immediate action in coordination with each other.” She said preventive work was being carried out on a war footing and keeping surrounding areas and major roads safe was the priority.The Brahmauttar breach was subsequently controlled with the help of WRD teams, local administration and villagers. Across Bihar, 46.88 lakh people have been affected by floods in 561 panchayats across 88 blocks in 15 districts, according to the DMD.
