Rising Kosi waters have inundated villages inside the embankments in Saharsa, leaving residents stranded. The flooding has sharpened demands for boats, food supplies and fodder as authorities keep watch.
Several villages along the Kosi river in Bihar’s Saharsa district have been inundated after heavy rainfall in Nepal and increased water discharge through the Kosi Barrage, leaving residents living between the eastern and western Kosi embankments struggling to move to safer areas.
The flooding has affected homes in villages located inside the embankments, with residents reporting difficulties in accessing food, drinking water, firewood and fodder for livestock. Several families are staying inside their flooded homes and waiting for the water level to recede.
Kedli village, located close to the eastern Kosi embankment, is among the affected areas. Residents said floodwater has entered houses and that the water level has continued to rise.
Phulo Yadav, a resident of Rampur village inside the embankment, said the situation in several villages had deteriorated, with water entering homes and people struggling to arrange food, drinking water and fodder for cattle.
Residents also said they had not seen enough boats to help people move out of the flooded areas, despite assurances from the administration that boats were available for evacuation.
Vibha Kumari, a Jeevika worker from Barhara, said water had entered houses and soaked firewood, while water entering kitchens had made it difficult for families to prepare food. She said some residents were managing with only one meal a day.
RESIDENTS STRUGGLE TO MOVE OUT
Boatman Ram Kumar Mukhiya said the current in the river had become stronger as the water level rose, making movement by boat risky. He said boats sometimes carried 20 to 25 people at a time and navigating the stronger current had become difficult.
Ashok Yadav, a resident of Kedli, said most villages and houses inside the embankments had been affected by the rising water. He said residents were particularly worried about arranging fodder for their livestock.
The district administration had appealed to people living between the embankments to leave their homes and move to higher ground in view of the expected rise in water levels.
NEPAL FLOODS RAISE DOWNSTREAM CONCERNS
The latest flooding comes about a month after severe flash floods struck Nepal on August 26, affecting communities along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. Nepal’s authorities reported widespread damage, displacement and disruption to infrastructure, while downstream areas in Bihar were placed on alert as floodwaters and heavy rainfall increased flows in rivers including the Gandak and Kosi.
On August 27, Bihar authorities had put several districts, including Saharsa and Gopalganj, on alert after floodwaters from Nepal entered the Gandak river system. Authorities opened barrage gates and ordered round-the-clock monitoring of vulnerable river stretches and embankments.