Ganga, Mahananda recede in Katihar

PURNIA/MADHEPURA: With the two major rivers Ganga and Mahananda, which belt-like encircle Katihar district on two sides, reducing their fury a bit, the overall flood situation in the district tends to improve bit by bit, even though more than 1,000 displaced families have been safely relocated.
The rampaging Ganga and Mahananda, which overflowed their banks and inundated scores of villages in the blocks of Amdabad, Manihari, Pranpur and Mansahi, are now on the downslide, though they are still above the danger level, according to water resource department (WRD) engineers.
Mahananda Project superintending engineer M N Chowdhury on Sunday said that Ganga recorded a 10 cm fall since Saturday, but was still flowing above the danger level. Katihar DM Ashwini Datta-Ray Thakare on Sunday said though floodwater was receding in Amdabad, Manihari, Pranpur and Mansahi blocks, some new areas in Kursela block had been lately inundated. Flood-hit people were being relocated.
The district authorities are now prioritizing the relief operations and making best possible efforts to reach food and other relief to the 58,000 people who are struggling against the floods. The road network has been severely crippled in the remote and flood ravaged Amdabad block where boats are the only mode of transport at the moment, according to district officials.
In Madhepura, water level of all the local rivers has increased, posing threat to the roads. The swelling rivers passing through the eastern side of Madhepura town inundated a part of ward no 14 on Friday. Water has entered into dozens of houses and the residents have been forced to take shelter at safer places. A swollen Baluaha river washed away a portion of the recently built diversion bridge over the river disturbing vehicular traffic on NH-107 between Madhepura and Purnia since Friday.