CMS School at Adampur in Bhagalpur on Tuesday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Evacuation of villagers has been started in different parts of the catchment areas of Bhagalpur and Munger districts as the Ganga is flowing above the danger level since Monday evening.

Sources said though the water level has been constant for the last 12 hours, it was recorded at 39cm — significantly above the danger level in Bhagalpur. Water has entered several low areas in the city and has submerged National Highway-80 between Sabour and Kahalgaon, and Sultanganj and Bariarpur.

Water has also entered the campus of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University. “Some parts of Professors’ Colony and Women’s Hostel No. 1 were inundated,” said vice-chancellor K. Verma, adding that officials concerned are monitoring the situation and evacuation would be initiated if necessary.

A university official said: “If the water level rises anymore, we would ask the students to vacate the hostels.”

Besides the university, water also entered the campus of Bhagalpur Engineering College and CMS School at Adampur in the heart of the city.

“We have packed up important documents and other items to protect them from the rising water,” said an employee of the UCO Bank branch on the engineering college campus.

Classes have been suspended at all institutions, including Delhi Public School, Sabour. Dozens of villages in the Sabour block — Farka, Baijalpur, Kurpat, Lailakh, Baijnathpur, Chanderi, Rajpur, Vitti and others — are also inundated.

A resident of Farka village, Anadi Yadav, said: “We are scared that as the NH-80 is already under water, we would be completely cut off.”

The authorities concerned have started precautionary measure to prevent loss of live and property.

Kailu Sardar, chief engineer, Bhagalpur division of the water resources department, said the road construction department has initiated efforts to counter damage to the flood-affected parts of the NH-80.

The department officials have started to dump sandbags on the NH-80 near Farka and Ghosipur.

Sources in the Central Water Commission said the water level might rise in the next 24 hours. The situation is grim in Gopalpur, Saidpur, Ishmailpur, Raghopur and Narayanpur under the Naugachia sub-division.

Awadesh Kumar Jha, executive engineer, water resources department, said: “The pressure of water on spurs from Bindtoli to Ishmailpur and on the embankment at Raghopur has increased alarmingly because of the rising water level.”

In Munger, west of Bhagalpur, the district administration has started evacuation from several villages in the diara lands. The NH-80 has been submerged between Dakwranala and Hemzapur.

At Babua Ghat in Munger, the river was flowing at 39.37cm on Monday evening, 0.04cm above the danger level: 39.33cm.

Kundan Kumar, sub-divisional officer, Munger, has deputed Ashok Kumar Singh, circle officer, for vacating people from the villages in the diara areas of Jafarnagar, Kutulupur and Tikarampur panchayats.