Bhagalpur, Aug. 29: The damage of Raghopur embankment at Naugachia sub-division yesterday has shattered the tall claims of the state water resources department. The incident has also raised several questions over the seriousness of the department concerned in flood-fighting works.

Sources said the work to counter large-scale soil erosion by the Ganga at Raghopur embankment has been going on since 2007 and over Rs 90 crore has already been spent.

In 2007, the department had spent over Rs 13 crore for anti-erosion works. The entire flood prevention measures were washed away with more than 200 houses. Vast areas of cultivable land, too, were inundated. The river current also damaged Kaji Koraiya embankment, adjacent to Raghopur embankment.

In 2008, floods wreaked devastation in the same locality even though the department had spent Rs 23 crore on flood prevention works the same year. More than 80 per cent population of Khairpur and Kaji Koriya had been affected. Some officials of the department were suspended and some transferred after the incident. In 2009 and 2010, the department had spent Rs 51 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively. This year, Rs 60 lakh has already been spent. In 2009, over 500m-stretch of Raghopur embankment was damaged followed by the dent yesterday.

“It is not possible to control vagaries of nature. We tried hard and managed to counter the intensity of the floods but we could not take on the might of the Ganga,” said R.S. Dayal engineer-in-chief, state water resource department (north).

On whether the department and particularly the private contract agencies, assigned to carry out anti-erosion and flood prevention works, had completed their jobs honestly, Dayal remained tight-lipped.

Earlier on the evening of June 22, Afzal Amanullah, the principal secretary of the department came to Naugachia to inspect the flood prevention measures. He admitted lapses on the part of the engineers for wastage of government money and failure to counter floods. “This time we would certainly tame the Kosi but we won’t be able to control the Ganga,” Amanullah said. He also suspended five engineers of the department assigned to repair the spur in the area.