On Camera, Chief Engineer Bihar Katihar On Inspection Duty Swept Away By Ganga River, Rescued

Patna:

It was a narrow escape for a Bihar official who was inspecting a collapsed embankment in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district. A video shows the chief engineer being swept away by the Ganga due to strong currents when he was on inspection duty at Ismailpur Bindtoli in Naugachia subdivision of Bhagalpur, around 220 kms from state capital Patna.

The State Disaster Response Team (SDRF) stationed nearby immediately launched a rescue operation, the video shows. The rescue team can be heard saying ,”Koi baat nahi sir, aaram se” (No worries Sir, take it easy)

Bihar: While inspecting a collapsed embankment in Bhagalpur, Katihar’s Chief Engineer was swept away by the Ganga River. The SDRF team quickly rescued him, and he is safe pic.twitter.com/3sFj7bJRIE

— IANS (@ians_india) August 24, 2024

One of the SDRF officials on the inflatable rescue boat can be heard instructing his peer to slow down the speed of the boat and make a turn. The chief engineer was finally pulled to safety due to the prompt and quick response of the SDRF team, the clip shows.

On Friday, a government school teacher fell into the Ganga near Patna and got swept away by strong currents, officials told PTI. The incident took place at Nasriganj ghat where Avinash Kumar took a boat to reach his school. 

While riding the boat, he tripped and fell into the riverbed, which remains swollen during the rainy season, police said.

Rivers Flowing Above Danger Mark 

Many rivers in Bihar are in spate and are flowing above the danger mark. The regional weather department has issued a warning for ‘moderate’ to ‘heavy’ rainfall in 17 districts of the state. 

The Ganga is currently flowing above the danger level at multiple points in Bihar, according to an IANS report. At Gandhi Ghat in Patna, it is 44 cm above the danger mark and 52 cm above the danger level at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur.

The situation, particularly in Bhagalpur, remains worrisome as floodwaters from the Ganga have entered multiple villages.

“We have conducted rescue operations with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). We are operating with 12 teams from NDRF and SDRF, rescuing villagers and taking them to higher ground, Nawak Kishore Chaudhary, the District Magistrate of Bhagalpur told IANS. 

“Public kitchens have been set up to provide food to the affected residents. We are closely monitoring the water levels in the region,” he added. 

Residents have been advised to exercise caution and follow the instructions of local authorities.

(With input from agencies)