Release of water from Chandan Dam and heavy rain flooded new areas

Bhagalpur, Aug 14 (UNI) Water from the Chandan Dam of Banka district and incessant rain since yesterday flooded several blocks of the district today, affecting more than 200,000 people.

Besides, property worth several hundred crores of rupees have also been damaged.

A huge amount of water released from Chandan Dam in neighbouring Banka district has added to the suffering of the people of at least 12 blocks in the district, who had already been affected by rainfall-related floods for the past few days.

District Sub-Divisional Officer Janardan Thakur said while Jagdishpur and Gaurahi blocks were most affected zones where more than six feet of water had inundated large areas of land and maroonerd over 80,000 people in different villages.

He further said three feet of water on the Bhagalpur-Dumka main road has resulted in cutting it off at several places, including Purauni and Jagdishpur, and snapping road connectivity between the two important district headquarters.

The main arterial road between Deoghar and Baskinath was also inundated at several places snapping the road communication, Mr Thakur said.

Meanwhile, he said, efforts were being made to rescue large number of marooned people from different parts of the districts and a number of country and motor boats had been pressed into service for this purpose.

However, protesting against the alleged inadequate government measures to rescue people, large number of villagers from the worst-affected Jagdishpur block had gheraoed the SDO for sometime this morning. They were rescued following the intervention of the police and local village elders.

UNI