Residents panic as Kosi drifts eastward

SAHARSA:
The residents of Majhaul, Fekrahi, Parasbanni, Mohammedpur and other adjoining villages under Nawhatta block in Saharsa district are in a state of panic after the Kosi suddenly drifted eastward causing threat to the eastern Kosi embankment near Bhakua village.
Although the water resources department engineers have taken protective measures by using nylon crating and bamboo piling works at the site, the river seems to be in a defiant mood.It has so far eroded vast stretches of agricultural land.
The villagers are alarmed as the distance between the river and the em-bankment has shrunk and the river is flowing hardly 10 meters away from the embankment.
According to villagers, the Kosi has given dangerous indications much before the advent of monsoon. The river has been flowing menacingly to-wards the eastern embankment between 81.80 km and 82.50 km points. Expressing shock over the alleged negligence on the part of the WRD en-gineers, the villagers told newsmen that the erosion had been taking place for over a month. They said the situation would spin out of control when the river is in spate during the monsoon.
Superintending engineer (eastern embankment circle) D D Prasad, how-ever, claimed that there was no threat whatsoever to the embankment. "I have personally visited the site. Protection measures have been taken and there is no reason to be alarmed unnecessarily," Prasad said.