Mahananda wreaks havoc in Purnia division, 6 dead

PURNIA: With the swollen Mahananda sweeping away two children in flood-affected Kishanganj block, another one was feared drowned in Kursakata block in Araria district on Saturday. With a girl child getting drowned at Locha in Kishanganj on Sunday, death toll in the current phase of floods has mounted to six across Purnia division.
A two-year-old child of Hasebul Rahman of Baliya-Majhok village under Daula panchayat and ten-year-old son of Mohammad Habib of Durgah bustee in Dahibhat panchayat in Kishanganj block in Kishanganj district were swept away by the surging waters of the swollen Mahananda, according to official sources.
A girl child, while overlooking the swirling currents of Kankai at Locha, was feared drowned on Sunday morning, Civil SDO Khursheed Alam said on Sunday. Two more persons had lost their lives in the floods in Kishanganj district earlier, the SDO added.
In another incident, a person was feared drowned in the rampaging Parman river in Kursakata block of adjoining Araria district on Saturday. His body has not, however, been traced as yet, said Araria Civil SDO Madhurani Thakur.
In Katihar district, the right embankment of the Mahananda which came under huge pressure due to extensive damage to the nose of spur no 688 at Bholamari in Amdabad block triggering widespread fear, is now safe. Chief engineer (irrigation) Indrajeet Saxena said 50 meter, out of 108 meter long nose of the spur, which was swallowed by swirling currents of Mahananda, had been repaired. Also, the road on the Mahananda embankment, which suffered extensive damage, had been restored to its original shape, the CE said.
As the flood water of Mahananda, Kankai, Donk, Mechhi, Ratuwa, Bakra, Parman flow down, the overall flood situation in upper reaches of Kishanganj and Araria districts are showing perceptible signs of improvement. But, as the surging waters of these rivers, emanating from the Himalayas, cascade downstream, they make onslaughts on more and more areas in Purnia division.
In Bahadurganj block in Kishanganj district, Locha village has literally been wiped out from the face of earth. Scores of villages from across the blocks of Terhagachh, Dighalbank, Kochadhaman, Bahadurganj, Kishanganj and Pothia are still gravely endangered by erosion and heavy inundation. The receding waters of the rivers further wreak havoc, official source said.
In adjacent Araria district, dozens of villages from across blocks of Palasi, Jokihat, Araria, Forbesganj and Kursakata were either facing dangers of extinction or were under heavy sheet of water. The network of roadways was severely damage.
In Purnia district, NH-107 was under enormous pressure due to steady erosion even as waters of Kosi have fanned out across many villages in Banmankhi and Krityanandnagar blocks. An unconfirmed report said one young girl was feared drowned at Navtolia village under Krityanandnagar block in western Purnia
on Saturday.
Baisi civil SDO Haleemuddin claimed that flood waters had receded considerably from blocks of Baisi, Dagarwa and Amour and relief was being rushed to flood victims.