Buxar: The rising Ganga is threatening to worsen the flood situation in Buxar with floodwaters spreading towards villages, roads and agricultural land.Water has reached the road connecting Gangauli village with Janeshwar Mishra Setu on Sunday. The current has submerged the stretch, cutting road connectivity between Buxar and Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, said Gangauli resident Santosh Kumar Thakur. Despite the current, locals and commuters continue to cross the submerged stretch on motorcycles, risking accidents. Villagers said no warning signs or safety measures had been put in place.The rising water is affecting more than 10,000 people in a dozen villages across Chausa, Buxar, Simari and Brahmpur blocks. Floodwaters have reached roads leading to Bhikshu Ke Dera and Shrikant Rai Ke Dera in Simari, Banarpur in Chausa, Arjunpur, Manjjgariya and Umarpur in Buxar block, and Nainijore in Brahmpur block.Buxar DM Sahila, who visited Ram Rekha ghat in Buxar on Saturday evening, said the administration was monitoring the situation and had made arrangements for emergencies. “We are monitoring the rising water level closely and all necessary arrangements are being made to protect people in the affected areas,” the DM said.Santosh Kumar Thakur said if the water continues to rise at this rate, the Ramdas Rai Dera police outpost and govt schools in the Diyara region near Buxar Koilwar Bandh could be submerged within 24 hours, forcing them to shut. The area is surrounded by water every year during floods, turning it into an island, he said.The flood has also caused shortage of fodder for livestock as fields and threshing grounds remain submerged. Farmers Ramdhani Yadav, Umakant Singh and Karanveer Thakur said they were worried about protecting their livestock and arranging feed.Abhishek Pandey, SHO of Ramdas Rai Dera, said police were keeping watch on the rising water. Police personnel and chowkidars were being deployed along the Gangauli embankment, while movement through dangerous stretches would be restricted to prevent accidents.Simari CO Bhagwati Shankar Pandey said preparations included 20 boatmen, 10 trained divers, 1,000 plastic sheets and 15 flood shelters with community kitchens. Officials had been asked to arrange medical camps and deploy SDRF teams. The CO urged diara residents to avoid open defecation and remain alert as snakes and other venomous creatures may move towards higher ground as floodwaters rise.
