Villagers' houses submerged in Bhagalpur due to flood

BHAGALPUR: Several houses were submerged in the Sinhkund village of Naugachhia town in Bhagalpur due to flood erosion by the Kosi river that started on July 1.

Situated on the banks of the river, the houses built by the labourers of the village are slowly getting washed away. The villagers are being forced to move out after having their homes wiped out and lands eroded by the intensifying rate of inundation.

"The houses have been demolished and all the villagers are migrating to another safer village," said Nanhaku Mandal, a victim.

Kaushalya Devi, another victim worked as a labourer and built the house which has been torn down by the calamity.

"My whole house has been torn down. I don't know where to go, what to eat. I have been alone in this house, both my husband and son are dead. I am very distressed," she said.

Another victim, Kanchan Devi said, "There is nothing left. The whole house is covered in Kosi. There is no food. No one has come to aid the situation. No public representative or administrative came even once to our rescue. Not even a brick could be saved."

Having no approach road connecting them to the city, the remote village cannot be reached via road and can only be travelled to and from via boats.

Since July 1, the Kosi river has been waterlogging the villages of Bhagalpur, causing several homes to be swept away by the overflow. Other homes near the banks can be eroded at any moment.