A boat tragedy claimed 5 lives. Now, an entire village on UP-Nepal border is being moved

After five residents were killed when a boat with 22 on board capsized on its way to a market in Lakhimpur Kheri, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on November 2 ordered that the people of Bharthapur be relocated within a month.

Approving Rs 21.55 crore for the project, he directed officials to ensure prompt provision of land, housing, and financial assistance to all displaced families.

A 4.2-acre plot in Semrahna village, 50 km away, has been identified for relocation. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

For residents, who had been demanding relocation for the past 15 years — meeting forest officials, the Bahraich district administration, and even visiting Lucknow five years ago to hand over an application to an official at the CM’s Janata Darbar — this comes as a welcome development.

The Indian Express makes the long journey to Bharthapur to speak to residents about life in the village and what the decision means for them.

Shrinking land

From Bahraich, the journey begins with a three-hour drive, traversing 40 km through the dense forests of Katarniaghat. The car halts at the Ghagra river bank, where a motor boat waits to ferry one across. Along the 6-km route, gharials and mugger crocodiles can be seen lying on the sandbanks, soaking in the sun, their scales shimmering in the light.

Gharials can be seen lying on the sandbanks en route to the village. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Near the village, the Ghagra branches out into the Girwa and Kaudiyala rivers; both rivers originate in Nepal.

Soon, thatched huts with solar panels glinting atop rooftops, lining a sandy bank, come into view. A few residents watch the approaching boat.

Inside Bharthapur, it appears time has stood still. Every house is made of grass and straw, and the only concrete building is a small, single-storey government primary school. There are no concrete roads, just narrow earthen paths. Only two small shops serve the entire village of about 600 people — most of them from the Maurya community. At the centre is an open space where people gather to celebrate festivals and perform rituals.

The only concrete building is a small, single-storey government primary school. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

“Our elders used to say the village was once much bigger,” said 83-year-old Asa Ram, the oldest resident of Bharthapur. “But over the years, the river kept cutting into the land and the village kept shrinking… We don’t remember when we ended up settling deep inside the forests of Katarniaghat.”

Government officials said revenue records show the village has existed since before Independence.

The residents are mostly illiterate, while some have studied only upto Class V at the primary school. They subsist mainly on farming and fishing; the younger generation has moved out to earn a living and send money back home.

Doodhnath Maurya (46), who claims he was part of the group who attended the CM’s Janata Darbar in Lucknow, said the river has claimed most of their farmland. “Only a few people are left with small patches where they mostly grow turmeric and peppermint.”

To buy household essentials, he said, villagers have to travel long distances — some go to Khairatiya market in Lakhimpur Kheri, about 7 km away. Others head to the Bichiya market in Bahraich, nearly 10 km away.

“For grinding wheat, mustard seeds, and other work, we go to Bardiya district in Nepal,” said Doodhnath. “We have to cross a stretch of the Bardiya National Park to get there… it’s quite an adventure,” he smiled.

For Uma Devi, the river has proved treacherous — her husband, Shiv Nandan (50), was among those who died in the boat tragedy last month. “Crossing the river is never easy — the water is deep and flows fast, and is full of crocodiles. If a boat ever overturns, people think twice before jumping in to help because they fear these reptiles.”

The journey through the forest isn’t safe either. “That’s why we avoid going out of the village too often and always make sure to return before sunset,” Uma added.

Education is also a challenge. Anyone who wants their children to study beyond Class V has little option but to send them to live with relatives in other villages or districts. “It’s too risky for children to cross the river and the forest every day, so we send them away if we want them to continue studying,” said another resident. “But only a few families can afford to do that. Most simply have to give up on the idea.”

The fact that there are no doctors or even a clinic is also a cause for worry — the nearest hospital is in Bahraich.

The nearest hospital for these villagers is in Bahraich. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Then the monsoon brings its own troubles. The river floods the village and residents have to build machans to stay above the water, said Jagat Ram (35). Some seek refuge on the roof of the primary school.

As their only source of electricity is solar lights, they usually retire early, around 8 or 9 pm. But nights in Bharthapur are anything but calm. “There’s always the danger of wild animals,” said another resident, Mohan Lal (27). He works in Delhi and returned home recently.

“Every night, groups of villagers take turns keeping watch. The biggest threats are elephants and tigers, so we keep firecrackers ready to drive them away. Years ago, an elephant destroyed several houses and killed a villager — since then, we’ve kept watch at night,” said Mohan Lal.

There is also no police station in the village. Asked how disputes among residents are resolved, another resident, Ram Naresh Yadav, said, “We settle it among ourselves. If there’s something serious, we call the village pradhan to resolve it. No one calls the police — and honestly, we know they wouldn’t come here anyway.”

An officer at the Sujauli police station, under whose jurisdiction the village falls, admitted that they rarely go to the village as there are no complaints from there.

The village falls under the Amba gram sabha. Amba’s pradhan, Ikrar Ansari, said, “I visit the village once or twice a month; whenever they face any dispute, they call me to resolve it.”

During elections, a team from the district administration arrives at Bharthapur a day in advance and sets up the polling booth — the first booth of the district — at the primary school campus. Locals said they don’t recall any senior political leader visiting them to canvass for votes.

“But we are relieved,” said Doodhnath. “We are hopeful that the shift will happen soon.”

Relocation plan

Following the Chief Minister’s directive, the Bahraich district administration has identified government land for the relocation — a 4.2-acre plot in Semrahna village, 50 km away. It has prepared a detailed layout plan and cost estimate, which has been sent for approval to the government, officials said.

As per officials, the plan includes giving each family a 700-800 sqft plot where they can build a house and toilet under government housing schemes. Bahraich District Magistrate, Akshay Tripathi, said in addition to allotting plots, the administration is also arranging electricity, drainage, and road facilities.

The new settlement will have 8-foot-wide roads, water and sewer pipelines, streetlights, and a dedicated space for keeping animals, said two-time MLA Saroj Sonkar. She won the election from Balha assembly seat in Bahraich on BJP ticket; Bharthapur falls under Balha constituency.

An official said the identified land is well-connected — a panchayat bhawan, primary school, and anganwadi are located about 550 metres away, while a private school is at a distance of 250 metres. Sources also said the government plans to provide 2.5 bighas of farmland to every family.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ram Dayal said that so far, the revenue and development departments have identified 135 families for relocation. After obtaining approval from the government, SDM Dayal said the PWD will develop the site and officials will take consent from each family before the move.

Sources said that if names of any residents have been left out of the initial list, the administration will prepare a revised one and send it to the government for approval.

Alongside this, a separate Forest Department proposal to relocate Bharthapur residents following a spike in man-animal conflict was also approved.

The plan was proposed in 2016. “The forest department has been pursuing the matter with the central government for several years, and approval was received last month,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Sooraj, said.

“We submitted the names of 118 villagers who had consented to relocate (when the report was prepared). They have been informed of the government’s decision,” he said.

Sooraj said the approved plan offers each beneficiary Rs 15 lakh in cash, along with compensation for all immovable assets — including land, houses, and handpumps.

After the village is vacated, it will be merged into the forest. He also clarified that the Forest Department scheme is independent of the CM’s directions issued to the district administration.

Relief for teachers

Apart from the residents, two government school teachers, Vinod Kumar and Begraj Singh, are also relieved by the decision. They have been teaching at the village for nearly a decade — it was their very first posting after joining the Education Department.

The duo lives in Girjapuri Colony and make the gruelling 12-km commute back and forth to the school every day — starting with a 6-km drive through the Katarniaghat forest, crossing a 1-km stretch across the river via boat, and then traversing another 5 km through the forest.

“We load our motorcycle onto the boat daily because once we cross the river, we still have to ride 5 km to reach the school,” said Vinod (45), who hails from Jaunpur district.

He added that they have often faced danger from wild animals, particularly elephants, and have had to abandon their vehicle and run for cover. The two teachers even hired a local resident to guide them through the forest each day.

The school’s strength has also fallen over the last four years. Vinod said there used to be over a hundred students before, but now there are just 47.

Both teachers have sought transfers, but their applications were rejected. “The department told us we could be shifted only if we found another government teacher willing to come here — and no one agreed,” Vinod added.