Fresh erosion has started at Bhutni island after water in the Ganga river rose to the danger mark, while people there now stare at a looming flood. As per the status recorded in the afternoon today, the river was flowing at a height of 24.68 m, just a centimeter lower than the danger level, though the extreme danger level is at 25.30m. The district irrigation department has already started stacking soil bags on the banks of the river that are considered weak and dangerous.
“This sudden rise in the water level and inundation in some areas of the island have given rise to the fear of a flood in the island inhabited by more than 1 lakh people,” officials said.
According to departmental sources, some places of Hiranandapur gram panchayat like Rajkumartola, Tenutola, Nilkanthatola, Hiranandapur and six other villages are now witnessing erosion at the embankments. Residents here like Madhu, Ram and Sujay Mandal said that the river swelled in July and then receded, but it has been rising for the last two days and has almost reached the danger level. “The river banks are getting eroded and the villagers are panic-stricken, while looking for places where they can shift for their safely,” the locals said.
The Pradhan of the GP, Kajal Mandal, said that the water level has almost touched the height of the embankment. “If the embankment collapses, the entire area will be severely flooded. So we have informed the block administration and the irrigation department in advance and discussed the matter,” she said.
According to the executive engineer of the department, Pranab Kumar Samanta, a huge volume of water of the upper catchment areas like Uttar Pradesh where it had rained heavily is now coming down, thereby flooding the Ganga. “If the rain stops there, the water level here will also fall gradually without creating any harm,” he said.
“Our engineers are keeping a close watch on the portions of the island where the banks are being eroded and some precautionary measures have been taken up already. The state government has already planned to construct a permanent embankment there in future,” he added.