Ganga Erosion Destroys Houses and Damages Embankment in Bihar’s Bhagalpur

Erosion along the Ganga River in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district damaged a section of embankment and destroyed several houses near Mahadevpur Ghat in Raghopur village on Friday evening. District officials said around 40 to 50 houses were affected, most of them kuchcha structures. Four pucca houses were completely destroyed and about ten others developed cracks, prompting the evacuation of residents as a precaution.

The Water Resources Department stated that the erosion began around 6 pm near an abandoned railway line on the left bank. A stretch of roughly 50 metres of embankment was damaged. Strong currents had shifted toward the left bank even though the river level remained below the warning mark and had fallen by about 12 centimetres in the preceding 12 hours. No further significant erosion was reported on Saturday, and the situation was described as under control.

Fifteen teams of engineers worked in shifts, supported by an assistant engineer and four junior engineers already stationed at the site. A special team of senior engineers was also deputed. The department arranged 50,000 sand-filled bags, mega geo-bags, geo-bags, nylon crates, tractors, boats and a steamer to reinforce vulnerable stretches. District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey inspected the area and said the erosion rate had stabilised overnight with no evidence of undermining.

Local reports described residents leaving homes at night as the bank collapsed. A Hanuman temple and several houses were among the structures lost in the affected stretch. The administration has placed nearby villages on alert and prepared relief arrangements. The incident follows earlier erosion in the same district that swept away a century-old Chaiti Durga Temple in September.

Authorities expect the situation to improve over the next 24 hours if the current remains stable. Continuous monitoring continues along the left bank where the river’s flow has concentrated. The event highlights the recurring seasonal risk of bank erosion in Bihar’s Ganga floodplain even when overall water levels are not at flood stage.