Madhubani. Swimming in flood prone areas is an art that everyone knows. Today the floating society has started sinking in the entire North Bihar areas including Madhubani. In Madhubani alone, more than 12 children have died due to drowning in pits within the last two months. Most of the pits have been formed after soil excavation by JCB. By the way, neither the disaster department has any information about this illegal excavation nor the mining department has anything to do with it. Digging of private to government lands in the district is being done through JCB. Water has filled these pits during the rainy season and so far more than a dozen children have lost their lives due to drowning in these pits.
Most deaths in Bisfi
Bisfi has seen the maximum number of deaths due to drowning in pits in the district in the last two months. 1 child died in Bisfi’s Balha, 2 in South Bharantol and 3 in Hero Patti. In Salempur of Pandaul, about 15 days ago, 3 children died due to drowning in a similar pit dug by JCB. Two children have died due to drowning in a pit on Saturday and Sunday in Ladniya. Two children had died due to drowning in a pit dug in the far off caps of a brick industry in Purab Kothia of Jhanjharpur. These incidents happened within a few months.
children from poor families
Two years ago in Bisfi, more than a dozen children in the villages Bisfi, Noorchak, Koreani, Simri etc. drowned in the pits dug by JCB. Despite these incidents, the administration is not paying any attention to it. No FIR has been made in such cases till date. Drowning children are mostly poor and socially backward. These children are cautious about going to the ponds, but they go to bathe or play in these pits believing that the risk of drowning is less.
what officials say
Mining Development Officer Santosh Kumar says that action is taken when complaints of illegal mining come to the fore. However, his department has no role in such matters. On the other hand, District Disaster Officer Parimal Kumar says that the report of the deaths in the pits has been sought from the CO of the concerned block. The administration is constantly appealing that children should be kept away from rivers, ponds and such pits.
