Villagers come together to stop floodwater from entering their village in Darbhanga

With the administration allegedly turning a blind eye, residents of a village in Darbhanga district have taken it upon themselves to save their homes from getting submerged in floodwater.

Floodwaters could enter through three culverts surrounding Karjappatii village in Darbhanga. When the level of water started to increase, the villagers decided to temporarily block the culverts with the help of bamboo stems and sandbags without any help from the administration.

They put bamboos vertically, tied them together and piled up sandbags at the inlets of culverts so that water could be prevented from entering the village.

Villagers said they did not get any help from the administration and are bearing the expenses on their own. "We are trying to prevent water from coming in on our own. The administration has turned a blind eye," a villager, a who was engaged in the task, said.

They alleged that state Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar passed through the area but did not bother to stop and take proper action. "Minister Prem Kumar passed from here but did not even bother to stop. Had he informed about it to the district administration, we would not have had to do it," he said.

The villagers say they were trying their best to reduce the risk of flooding but maintain that their all endeavours would go in vain if the water level continues to rise around the village.

Speaking to ANI, a resident said, "We are trying to prevent water from flowing into the village and we are not confident if we will succeed in our efforts. If water level increases, the entire arrangement may fail and the village will be flooded and we will have to migrate to a safer place."

A river which passes by the village is the primary cause of their concern. With water level swelling with each passing day, it poses a threat to the area. An embankment has been constructed surrounding the area to prevent river water from entering but villagers alleged it was weak at some places.

If the embankment breaks, the whole village will be submerged in floodwater. "I appeal to the district administration to please get the embankment repaired," another villager urged.

As many as 33 people have lost their lives due to floods in the state, while approximately 26 lakh people in over 12 districts have been adversely affected by the calamity. The state government is providing Rs 6,000 directly into the bank accounts of flood-affected families.