Bihar: Gandak recedes, 7 engineers suspended over flood response negligence

Bihar: Gandak recedes, 7 engineers suspended over flood response negligence

Patna, Water level of the Gandak River in Bihar has started receding rapidly, even as the state government on Sunday suspended seven engineers and initiated departmental proceedings against another official for alleged negligence in handling the recent floods, an official statement said.

At Rewaghat in Saran, the water level of Gandak has fallen 177 cm from its record high and is now 50 cm below the danger mark, the statement issued by the Water Resources Department on Sunday evening said.

At Lalganj in Vaishali, the level has dropped 130 cm but remains 52 cm above the danger mark. It is expected to fall below the danger mark within the next 24 hours, the release added.

There is currently no pressure on the embankments and seepage and piping problems have been resolved, the department said, adding that materials have been stocked at breach sites to protect vulnerable stretches.

The Gandak had registered unprecedented water levels following heavy rainfall in adjoining Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, with record highs reported at Devghat in Nepal and at Bagaha, Dumariaghat, Rewaghat and Lalganj in Bihar.

The department said inspections found laxity and delays in the emergency response by some engineers, including inadequate mobilisation of manpower and materials and poor coordination with locals and elected representatives.

"Seven engineers, including two executive engineers, have been suspended with immediate effect. Departmental proceedings have also been ordered against Muzaffarpur chief engineer Kumar Manoj Gupta over alleged negligence following damage to the Champaran embankment," the statement said.

Officials suspended were Saran executive engineer Santosh Kumar Prabhakar, Gopalganj executive engineer Md Sajid Iqbal, Saran assistant engineers Sunil Kumar and Vinod Kumar, Gopalganj assistant engineer Md Javed Ansari, Saran and Gopalganj junior engineers Chandrashekhar Kumar and Vikas Kumar, respectively, it added.

The department said any laxity or negligence during a disaster-related emergency would invite strict action.

Nearly 9.87 lakh people in 169 gram panchayats across 30 blocks in six Bihar districts have been affected by floods following heavy rainfall in Nepal and adjoining areas in the last week of September, officials said.

The affected districts are West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur.

As part of relief measures, authorities have distributed 1,17,847 polythene sheets and 1,19,131 dry ration packets among affected people, they said.

A total of 324 boats are being operated for evacuation and transportation, while 196 community kitchens have served food to the affected people. For rescue and relief operations, 14 NDRF teams and 28 SDRF teams have been deployed in the affected areas, the officials added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.