Ganga riverbank erosion near Mahadevpur Ghat in Bhagalpur’s Raghopur diara area has damaged around 40-50 houses and caused subsidence along an embankment, prompting the evacuation of residents and round-the-clock flood-control work by the district administration.
The erosion occurred near an abandoned railway line in Kharik block, within Naugachhia sub-division, after floodwater began receding on Friday night. Officials said the affected area spans about 150 metres, including nearly 50 metres of the embankment. Four pucca houses were completely damaged and another 10 developed cracks.
Residents of the affected houses were evacuated during the night. Their belongings, including livestock, were moved to safer locations as officials assessed the risk of further soil loss and damage to the embankment. The incident has placed both settlements and flood-control infrastructure under active monitoring.
Bhagalpur district magistrate Alankrita Pandey visited the affected area with senior district officials and reviewed rescue and flood-control operations. She directed district and sub-divisional officials to accelerate measures to check further erosion and strengthen vulnerable sections of the embankment.
The district administration said the condition of flood-affected families was also reviewed during the inspection. Officials were instructed to continue monitoring the site and take prompt measures to protect residents, their belongings and livestock. The administration said flood-control work was continuing around the clock at the affected and vulnerable locations.
Teams comprising senior and junior engineers and technical personnel have been deployed to monitor the embankment and respond to further changes. The district administration has also made flood-fighting materials and rescue equipment available at the site.
Around 600 workers are working in shifts to contain the erosion and limit further damage, the district magistrate said. The operation is focused on the affected stretch and other vulnerable points along the embankment.
According to official sources, the Ganga’s water level at Bhagalpur was below the danger mark and had fallen by around 12 centimetres in the preceding 24 hours. The district administration said the situation was under control, with no fresh erosion reported on Sunday, and officials expected conditions to improve over the following 24 hours.
