The banks of Ganga near Gopalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

Gopalpur (Bhagalpur), June 26: The residents of Gopalpur, Rangra and Ishmailpur blocks of the Naugachia sub-division of the district are spending sleepless nights, thanks to the changing course of the Ganga.

Sources said the change in the course of the river could submerge acres of cultivated land. Continuous rainfall in the catchment areas over the past 72 hours is threatening the embankments and the nine spurs where flood prevention work had been initiated earlier. Over the past two days, the water-level has increased by 4.5ft and inundated the upper portion of spur number 3.

Though the engineers of the water resources department claimed that they had been able to counter the erosion and all embankments and spurs were protected, the residents of the area are sceptical.

“Spur number 3 has been inundated. We had to stop the repair work. However, we have arranged for five lakh sand bags. These would be placed on the sides of the embankments,” said D.N. Choudhary, superintending engineer, state water resources department.

Contrary to his claim, the river not only submerged spur number 3 but also eroded portions of the other spurs, including zamindari bandh, the main embankment of the river. Landslide caused by erosion was visible in the area.

Villagers have also started to migrate to other areas.

“If spur number 3 gives way, the river will be able to change its course and flow into Ganga Prasad dhar, a dried channel of the river. This would result in massive land erosion,” said Lallan Kumar Roy, a social activist.

Ganga Prasad dhar was the original course of the river before it shifted between 1933 and 1937.

“The river could develop a new branch to join Kursela barrage through Ganga Prasad dhar. If that happens, major parts of Gopalpur, Ishmailpur and Rangra would go under the river,” said Mukesh Kumar, a lawyer at Patna High Court and a resident of Saidpur.

Mukesh, along with another resident of the area, Nabin Chandra Kumar, lodged a PIL in the high court last year against the slow progress of the flood-prevention work.

The residents of the area are also angry with the government, as they have not received proper compensation for the land acquired for flood-prevention.

“Ganga had already submerged much of our land. The rest was acquired by the government for flood-prevention work. Neither was the flood prevention done properly, nor did we get any compensation,” said Ashok Dada, a resident of Saidpur.

Villagers of Bochai diara, too, have similar complaints.

One of them said they were forced by the authorities to harvest their maize crops in May, as their lands were acquired for boulder pitching. However, the work was not completed, and the holes dug for the boulders led to further erosion.

Over the past three years, the change in the course of the river has created havoc in the area.

The river has submerged dozens of villages, including Buddhu Chowk. Between 2007 and 2010, the government incurred loses of Rs 50 crore, as seven of the nine spurs — built to check land erosion — were washed away by the river.

This year, Ganga Flood Control Committee, a national body, along with the state water resources department, initiated the repair of the spurs for a cost of Rs 14 crore. The deadline for the work was June 30 but it has now been pushed back to July 15.

Afzal Amanullah, principal secretary, state water resources department, visited the spurs on June 22, after the residents of the area raised a hue and cry over the threat. Amanullah suspended five engineers of the department for not meeting the deadline of the repair work.

Gopalganj flood fear

Taking note of the story published in The Telegraph today on the flood threat in the Gopalganj district, the chief engineer of the flood control department, Ram Pukar Ranjan, superintending engineer Abdul Hamid and Siwan executive engineer Shital Chandra Jha arrived at Gopalganj to take stock of the situation.

Ranjan said steps had been taken to ensure the safety of Kisan Bhavan at Dharmpur. He added that 135m-long erosion had been caused by river Gandak.

Gopalganj executive engineer R.K. Jaiswal would monitor the work.