Boats lie in a drain in Darbhanga. Picture by Mohan Mahato

Darbhanga, June 8: They are the saviours of millions in times of crisis. But now they are floating in a drain of apathy.

Boats in Darbhanga, which become the lifeline of lakhs of people every time floods hit the state, are lying in a pitiable state.

Flood is common in the northern Bihar. Every two to three years, thousands are evicted during monsoons as the rivers swell.

In times of crisis, these boats come to the aid of the people. They help them move to safer areas.

But with no immediate requirement of these boats, over a dozen of them have been placed in a drain behind Nehru Stadium. This despite the district having three big tanks — Harahi, Digghi and Ganga Sagar.

These boats have been in the drain for the past one year, sources said, adding that 37 boats were made in 2010, some of which have been sent to different blocks in the district, while the remaining have been kept in the drain.

Boats, if kept outside a water body, have a chance to crack and eventually be damaged.

People of the area said all the boats are in a good condition, despite being kept in such a state. “Floods generally hit the state once every three years and it was expected in 2010. However, as the floods did not strike the state last year, the boats were left unused,” one of the residents said.

Krishna Kumar, the owner of a tea stall near the drain, said the boats were kept there after they were manufactured. “This drain usually has water but before 2004 it dried up and several boats were damaged in the process,” he said.

Sources said the circle officer of each block is responsible for taking care of the boats.

Out of 330 panchayats, 168 are flood-prone areas and even in cases of moderate floods, more than a thousand boats are needed, the sources added.

Chandrika Tiwari, the executive engineer of flood control in Darbhanga division, said: “Boats are considered as the lifeline of millions of people during flood. Not only are they the only mode of communication but they are also the source of relief operation.”

Darbhanga district magistrate R. Lakshamanan told The Telegraph: “The boats might have been kept at such a place because of security reasons but I will check with the additional collector of disaster management, C.K. Mandal, and get them transferred to a more appropriate place soon.”

Lakshamanan added that before the floods, the administration had ordered to manufacture 100 boats. Of them, 40 have been delivered.