Construction work at the embankment of the Ganga at Gopalpur in Bhagalpur on Wednesday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Vagaries of nature, coupled with alleged government laxity and misuse of state funds, continue to spell doom for thousands of people residing near the Ganga.

With the arrival of monsoon, the perennial fear of erosion has started to haunt the thousands of families here.

Every year, the government spends huge amount of money to tackle the menace, but a permanent solution has eluded residents of several blocks in the district.

People who have lost their lands and have taken shelter on the embankments lambasted the annual government expenditure. On Sunday, district magistrate (DM) Prem Singh Meena managed to pacify villagers from demonstrating before chief minister Nitish Kumar during his visit to Dharhara hamlet.

“We met Nitishji at Dharhara and apprised him of the misuse of government money every year. The chief minister referred the matter to water resources minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary,” alleged Gulabi Singh, the BJP block president of Gopalpur.

Chaudhary said: “Flood-fighting has been initiated on a war footing and a work order of Rs 27 crore has been passed which will be used to construct an additional spur.”

Villagers, however, are not impressed with the work or the quality of the material being used. “A 45-54kg boulder should be put inside an iron cage to counter erosion but the rocks being used here weigh around 25-30kg. The revetment works are sub-standard, which could be easily washed away by flood,” alleged Gopalpur resident Mukesh Kumar.

However, an employee of Chhapra-based Banshidhar Construction, which has been awarded the spur repair project, refuted the allegations and said 80 per cent work has been completed and revetment work was in progress.

Buccho Yadav of Bindhtoli village said: “My family had more than 50 bighas of land till the 90s. All the plots have disappeared and we are taking shelter on the embankment now.” Amit Kumar of Kamalakunda village said: “My school was washed away in 2009. The government spends crores but erosion occurs every year.”

On Monday, Naugachia sub-divisional officer Akhilesh Kumar, in a report to the Bhagalpur DM, underlined the alleged sub-standard materials being used. Bhagalpur divisional commissioner Minaj Alam has also asked the DM to register an FIR against the accused, if allegations of sub-standard material being used were found to be true.

The Gopalpur block president said residents of these two blocks, along with Shidpur, Bindtoli, Karari Tintanga, Suktiya Bazar and others, would soon start agitations against the misuse of funds.

Social activist Lalan Roy said he Gopalpur block headquarters is on the verge of erosion and if proper steps are not taken, it would disappear from the map of Bhagalpur.