War Footing Repairs of Damaged Embankments Underway, Seven Engineers Suspended for Negligence: Minister Vijay Chaudhary

Patna: The Bihar government has initiated swift action to address flood damage in the state’s southern districts, with Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Saturday affirming a “zero tolerance” policy toward official negligence in dam and embankment management.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Sinchai Bhawan in Patna, the minister said that urgent repair work was underway across flood-affected areas, particularly in Nalanda, Jehanabad and Patna districts, where heavy rainfall has led to significant breaches in embankments.

“The department is working on a war footing,” Chaudhary said. “Senior officials are inspecting the affected areas daily. Any negligence will not be tolerated, and action is already being taken.”

As part of this, one executive engineer and several junior engineers have been suspended, while seven engineers are under departmental inquiry. Two additional executive engineers and two assistant engineers have also been deployed at critical locations to expedite repair efforts.

Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department, Santosh Kumar Malla, explained that unusually intense rainfall in neighbouring Jharkhand since June 18 had caused water levels to surge in several rivers, including Niranjana, Muhane, Uttar Koel, Sakri, and Panchane.

At 9pm on June 19, Uderasthan Barrage in Jehanabad recorded a water discharge of 73,067 cusecs — 4,439 cusecs higher than last year’s maximum — leading to a record water level of 62.15 metres at Bandhuganj Causeway, surpassing the previous high by 15 centimetres.

The surging water damaged multiple embankments, including a section of the Jamindari Dam along the Lokain River in Nalanda’s Ekangarsarai block near Keshopur village. Additional damage was reported on the embankments of rivers Lokain, Bhootahi, Dhowa, and Mahatmain.

Chaudhary emphasised that the administration’s response has so far protected several sensitive areas from floodwater. He warned that further lapses would not be excused, stating, “Continuous monitoring is being done and those found guilty of negligence will not be spared.”

The minister added that coordination with district officials was ensuring that flood control measures were being implemented rapidly. Relief and structural reinforcement efforts are ongoing in the most vulnerable zones, with focus on embankment stability and community safety.