Patna, Oct. 1 -- The Gandak river continued to flow above its previous highest flood level (HFL) at several locations in Bihar on Thursday, putting intense pressure on embankments following heavy rainfall in Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, the Water Resources Department (WRD) said.
At Dumariaghat in Gopalganj, the river remained around 22 cm above its previous all-time HFL for nearly 36 hours. At Revaghat in Saran and Lalganj in Vaishali, the water level was around 22 cm above the previous HFL for nearly 21 hours.
The WRD said a breach occurred in the right embankment in Panapur block of Saran on Wednesday night, while a ring embankment of the Tirhut Main Embankment in Sahebganj block of Muzaffarpur also breached.
"The Ganga is also flowing above the danger mark, creating backflow pressure in the Gandak and further aggravating the situation. Seepage and piping have been reported at several vulnerable points," the department said, adding that intensive flood-fighting and round-the-clock monitoring were underway.
Although the Gandak level has started receding, it remains above the previous HFL and hydraulic pressure is expected to persist for the next 48 hours. Other vulnerable locations were reported to be safe and under control.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inspected the rising Ganga at J P Ganga Path in Patna and directed officials to maintain round-the-clock vigil and ensure public safety. He also reviewed relief preparations and said the government had approached the Indian Air Force for assistance in rescue and relief operations.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.