Scores of panic-struck locals residents abandon homes

BIRPUR (SUPAUL): Memories of the 2008 Kosi floods have returned to haunt the riverine region as landslides in Nepal have triggered the fear of another devastating flood in the already-panicking residents of the Kosi region.

Residents of Birpur, which is the closest to Nepal, are fleeing the area in panic and moving their most prized possession – cattle. “The last time, we lost everything. Is the flood really coming again? What can we carry? Everything will be lost again,” said Thakur Sada, 45, of Bhimnagar. “There are six blocks comprising 31 panchayats with a population of around 45,000 in the Kosi embankment area. Around 25,000 have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, while the others still remain, as they don’t want to leave their houses and cattle. We are exploring possibilities of evacuating them as well,” said Supaul district magistrate Lakshmi Prasad Chauhan.

Chauhan said that the admin- istration was geared-up for any possibility of heavy discharge. “Two teams of national disaster response force (NDRF) and one of the army from Katihar have already arrived,” he added.

Sub-divisional magistrate Chandan Chauhan, who visited the Nepal area with a team of engineers to assess the situation, said there was no alarm at this stage, as water discharge was slow.

The government has ordered rehabilitation of the evacuated people in relief camps, but they are not yet fully equipped.