The eroded bank at Kewala village in Katihar. Picture by Jitendra Kumar Shrivastava

Ganga has eaten up a dozen houses while eroding its bank at Kewala village under Manihari block in Katihar.

Several other houses in the village are also under threat from erosion. Aggrieved families have taken shelter at a school. Owners of houses that are under threat are trying to move their families to safer places, which is putting residents in Dilarpur panchayat, about 340km northeast of Patna, under severe financial strain.

The local administration has made a list of 12 house-owners who have lost their houses to erosion and sent it to the higher authorities so that their houses could be constructed under Indira Awaas Yojana. But there is no provision under the scheme for people who lose their house to erosion.

Arbind Kumar Chaudhary, circle inspector, Manihari block, said: “The stream eroded soil inside the village, submerging a dozen houses. Residents were able to save their lives and valuables, as they were vigilant during Chhat. But the erosion is on and displacement of houses is going on.”

He further said: “After conducting a ground survey, we have made a list of suffered families. The list of a dozen families has been sent to the government so that help, if any, can be extended to them. But there is no government scheme for families whose houses got submerged because of riverbank erosion. We are striving hard to provide them help under Indira Awaas Yojana.”

Awadhesh Singh, one of those who lost his house to erosion, said: “Since the governm-ent school was closed because of festival, we took shelter there. We are erecting a bamboo structure so that we can move out of the school before it reopens. Being daily wagers, construction of this temporary house has left us heavily in debt. About 13-14 houses got submerged.”