Bettiah: Panic gripped villages in Gopalganj district on Wednesday after the embankment of the Saran Gandak canal breached at Kahla Bishunpura under Barauli police station area following extra release of water from the Gandak river.The breach triggered a rapid flow of water into nearby villages and low-lying areas, prompting authorities to launch emergency repair operations. Teams from the irrigation department and the district administration rushed to the site and began restoration work on a war footing.Gopalganj Sadar SDM Anil Kumar said coordination with canal authorities was underway to contain the situation.“As soon as information about the embankment breach was received, repair work was started. It has also been ensured that no water is released into the canal for the time being so that the flow can be controlled and the damaged portion repaired at the earliest,” he said.Executive engineer Dilip Kumar said the canal had resumed operations on June 15 and that the department had sought a regulated water supply.“The department had demanded around 1,000 cusecs of water, but nearly 11,000 cusecs were released into the canal. At that time, the Gandak river itself was carrying only about 4,000 to 4,500 cusecs of water. The excessive pressure led to the embankment breach,” he said.He added that the primary reason behind the breach was the unusually high water pressure. “There has been no report of any major damage. The water flow has been completely stopped, and repair work is continuing. We expect the situation to return to normal within the next two to three days,” he said.Officials from the district administration and the irrigation department are camping at the site and monitoring the affected villages while restoration work continues.
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