Chhapra, Sept. 15: Banarsi and Kunti Devi, in 60s, have lost faith in god. Reasons: Flooding waters of Gandak have destroyed their crops and house. They know not where to go to cope with the disaster.

The threat of a devastating flood like the one in 2001 is looming large as Gandak river may breach the Saran embankment at Semaria village under Barauli block in Gopalganj district.

The river has breached its embankment on 200 metres stretch. A red alert has been sounded in Saran, Gopalganj and Siwan.

The flood control department has spent crores to protect the embankment. But now they have surrendered.

After camping at Semaria for two days, the principal secretary of water resources department, Ajay Naik, left for Patna yesterday.

Gopalganj district magistrate Balamurugan D. and superintendent of police K.S. Anupam have pressed into service all possible resources to safeguard the embankment after an emergency meeting with the officials of different departments.

Hundreds of labourers have been pressed into action to protect the villages and take precautionary measures.

Sensing a catastrophe, the villagers, including children, are lending their helping hand to the administration.

If the embankment is completely breached at Semaria, six panchayats of Barauli block, eight of Sidhwalia block and nine panchayats of Baikunthpur block would be flooded. The flood would directly affect 5 lakh people of Saran.

Bihar development commissioner K.P. Saha is camping at Gopalganj to monitor the precautionary steps being taken. He is also supervising the relief works.

One company of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been pressed into service for the flood-affected people.

According to reports, eight units of NDRF have reached Chhapra, Siwan and Gopalganj. Eight motorboats have also been sent.

The flood-affected people are taking shelter at safer places. Around 200 families of Mushar Tola of Semaria village have been accommodated in Rupamchap Middle School. Several others have left the village with their luggage for safer destinations.

Barauli block development officer Uday Kumar said: “Relief camps have been set up at Barkat village. Arrangements of food, medicines and fodder for animals have also been made.”

Divisional commissioner Anshumali Arya told The Telegraph that the situation was serious and steps to safeguard the embankment had been taken. The pressure of current is strong but the embankment has not been breached in Siwan yet.

She added that two blocks of Siwan district — Basantpur and Goriakothi — would be affected if the river breaches the embankment.

Saran district magistrate Pankaj Kumar Pal has also taken precautionary measures following the flood threat to Panapur, Mashrak, Taraiya, Isuapur and Marhaurrah blocks. Pal has deputed 12 officials with 74 employees to these places to take necessary steps to safeguard the embankment and arrange relief materials.

Taking cue from the past experiences, the administration has asked the villagers to leave for safer places in Saran and Gopalganj.

Executive engineer of flood division Vasik Alam admitted that the danger of flood was looming large over these districts.

The residents of these districts had a bitter experience of flood in 2001. The river had breached the embankment near Devapur in Gopalganj district then.