Residents of Ismailpur block have lambasted the government’s apathy towards developing the region, forcing people to relocate in the event of floods.

They allege that demands for extending the Ismailpur embankment to Jaimangal Tola (10km away) and ensuring road connectivity have been overlooked for years. Some have even put their lives on hold to realise these demands. Khantar Mandal, the deputy mukhiya of Ismailpur panchayat, has decided not to marry unless the government extends the 12km Bindhtoli-Ismailpur embankment by another 10km.

The Ganga is a lifeline for the five panchayats of Ismailpur block — created in 1994 by then chief minister Lalu Prasad — in Bhagalpur district. However, floods turn three of the blocks into islands during the monsoon. The 45,000-strong population of the block has been fighting for basic infrastructure coupled with the lack of government assurance.

Fifty-six-year-old Putul Devi lost her farmlands and house in the block’s Kamalakund panchayat to floods two years ago. She took shelter in Ismailpur but has again been forced to relocate to a makeshift hut on the embankment.

The administration is in no better shape, though. S.M. Parvez Qadri, block development officer, Ismailpur, said: “We are busy transporting the important documents to Naugachia by boat, as the block office is submerged.”