New Delhi. The Ganga is flowing above the danger mark in 12 districts in Bihar and has reportedly submerged at least 10 houses in Mamalkha district. A bridge has also caved in due to the overflowing of other rivers like the Kiul in Lakhisarai. As the situation worsened, the Patna district administration extended the closure of 76 government schools in rural areas till September 26 for the safety of students and teachers.
A portion of the Malia Tetarhat bridge over the Kiul river in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district caved in on Monday, the second such incident in the state within 24 hours. This was followed by the collapse of an under-construction portion of the Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur Ganga Mahasetu bridge in Patna district on Sunday night. According to locals, the bridge, built by the road construction department, was inaugurated in 2014. Dozens of bridges and viaducts have collapsed in Bihar in the past few months, raising questions over the quality of their construction. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has recently directed a survey of all old bridges in the state.
In Bihar’s Mamlakha district, the swollen Ganga river rose above the danger mark and engulfed at least 10 houses. The state disaster management department (DMD) said additional chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit held a virtual review meeting with officials of 12 districts to assess the situation and ensure preparedness for the possible rise in water level.
According to the DMD, flood-like situation prevailed in nearly 12 districts along the Ganga, affecting around 13.56 lakh people living in low-lying areas. It said a total of 376 gram panchayats have been affected, with many residents evacuated to camps. The 12 affected districts are Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Khagaria, Bhagalpur and Katihar, officials said.