Daltonganj: The Koyel river swelled to dangerous levels following a massive flash flood on Friday, evoking memories of the 1976 deluge, when families living near Giriwar School on the riverbank were forced to take shelter for several days at Palamu Club, located on higher ground.Hussain Waris, 68, a lawyer who was among those sheltered in 1976, said, “This Friday flood is far more ferocious than 1976. It’s highly turbulent.”Waris said safety amenities and communication were far better now. “Water level had started rising late 3 am Friday night. Many knew about the trend of the rising river through the cell phone calls. Hence when the river swelled full, there was less of panic, more of anxiety,” he said. Asked if families would move out again, he said, “50 years have elapsed. Things have changed. People living on the bank of the river have fortified their houses.”Low-lying areas of Daltonganj, including Belwatiker, Kandu Mohalla, Bhatti Mohalla and Pahari Mohalla, were inundated. A govt middle school in Belwatiker had one foot of water on its campus, while bikes and cars were submerged in several areas.District disaster management nodal officer Kundan Kumar, the additional collector, inspected flooded localities and asked people to stay away from the river. “Daltonganj town police are persuading people not to come closer to the river. Miking is on,” he said.DC Palamu Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat said, “We have alerted our civic and medical personnel to be on high alert to meet any exigency arising out of the flash flood.”
