Residents wade through floodwater on National Highway 80 in Bhagalpur on Friday. Picture by Amit Kumar

The rapidly swelling Ganga has taken a toll on education, forcing schools and colleges to suspend classes.

Bhagalpur Engineering College principal Achinta said: “Since the campus has been inundated, all classes have been suspended and hostels vacated. We somehow managed to admit first-year students in the college.”

Academic work was also hit at Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University after water entered the administrative block premises.

“We could attend office only after crossing through 2-3 feet of water between the senate hall and the administrative block,” said a varsity employee.

Boats have been pressed into service to ferry the teachers to universities and their family members to other places from the Professor Colony. According to Gurudev Poddar, dean, students’ welfare, the inmates of postgraduate girls’ hostel were asked to vacate the buildings.

“Floodwaters entered the hostel on August 19 and 20. How is it possible for students to attend classes in such a scenario,” he asked.

Saurav Kumar, a Class IX student of Kamala Kund High School in Ismailpur, said: “Classes have been suspended for the past 15 days.”

“Classes are on at CMS and DAV but the grounds of the institutions have been inundated. We cannot play on the field,” complained Ritesh Kumar, a Class VII student of DAV, Bhagalpur.

Subhas Kumar Gupta, the district programme officer of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, said flood has hampered work at over 36 government schools in Ismailpur, Naugachia, Sabour and Nathnagar.

Kailu Sardar, chief engineer, water resources department, Bhagalpur division, said: “There is a possibility of water-level rising by over 3-4 cm in the next 24 hours.”