Patna (Bihar) [India], September 4 : RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said people in the flood-hit Raghopur Diara area were facing difficulties in movement and struggling to access drinking water, and urged the state government to ensure immediate relief measures.
Yadav visited the flood-affected areas and assessed the difficulties being faced by residents due to waterlogging and rising water levels in the Gabga River.
Speaking to ANI during the visit, the RJD leader said that large stretches of agricultural land had been submerged and that water had also started entering residential areas.
"This is the Raghopur Diara area; if you look far and wide, the terrain has become impassable. These used to be vast fields, but now people's homes are being submerged as the water level of the Gabga River rises. However, the necessary relief work and progress, such as setting up camps and shelters, are missing. People are facing immense difficulty just moving around. There shouldn't be any loss of livestock, lives, or property; relief supplies need to be provided. Even access to drinking water has become a struggle for the people. The government needs to address all these issues", Yadav said.
Earlier, the flood situation in Bihar's Saran district remained serious on Friday as rising water levels in the Ganga, Saryu and Gandak rivers inundated several villages in the diara and low-lying areas, disrupting normal life and leaving boats as the primary mode of transport in several affected areas.
Residential areas in low-lying parts of Chhapra city, along with parts of Revelganj, Sonpur and Chhapra Sadar blocks, have been affected by floodwaters. Sonpur and Revelganj are among the worst-affected areas of the district.
Speaking to ANI, Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer Nitesh Kumar said that Revelganj, five panchayats in Sadar block and one panchayat in Garkha block are currently affected by the floods.
"In Sonpur, floodwaters have entered new areas of Sabalpur Diara and Pahleja. Around two feet of water is flowing on the road connecting Hariharnath Temple to Bajrang Chowk, affecting movement in the area", he said.
Meanwhile, the Saryu river is flowing above the danger mark in Manjhi block, raising concerns among residents living in nearby areas.
"The district administration has stepped up relief and rescue measures and started boat operations in the affected areas to facilitate the movement of people and provide assistance to flood-affected families", the Sadar Division officer said.
In view of the worsening flood situation, the district administration has deployed supervisory officers in 18 panchayats of the Sonpur subdivision to monitor relief and rescue operations.
The deployment was ordered by Saran District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava. As per the order issued by the Sonpur Sub-Divisional Officer, officials have been assigned to 16 panchayats in Sonpur block and two panchayats in Dighwara block.
The affected panchayats include Sabalpur East, Sabalpur North, Sabalpur West, Sabalpur Central, Nazarmira, Raher Diara, Gangajal, Bharpura, Kharikka, Kasmar, Rasulpur, Saidpur, Nayagaon, Hasilpur, Kalyanpur and Shikaripur in Sonpur, along with Akilpur and Rampur Aami in Dighwara.
The areas have been identified as either fully or partially affected by floods.