In the Ara district of Bihar, the retreating monsoon has brought messages of devastation. Villages along the Ganges are on the verge of submersion, prompting people to evacuate. However, some elderly residents cannot bring themselves to abandon their homes. Clinging to the side of the hut, an elderly man with a child in his lap and a dhoti over his shoulder is asked why he won't leave his house, which is now under the flood's threat. His trembling voice fills with grief. Some words escape, while others dissolve in his mouth. In Bhojpuri, he says, "Leaving home is tough, bbaua... like a bird leaving its cage, no one does it willingly, bbaua. In the end, a man will go, what can I do?"
The elderly man candidly shares that he built his home with hard-earned money. He recalls sweating it out in the fields, a testament to relentless labor. Switching back to Bhojpuri, he narrates the struggle of constructing the home: "Earned with hard work, bbaua, it wears you out in the fields. What can be done, God's grace alone." He laughs, but his laughter quickly fades with his tears.
Their plight was featured in detail in a video on Lallantop.
The elderly man declares no desire for government aid but holds onto the money he toiled for. He questions where to relocate. Expressing his reluctance to beg for tea and bread, the elder's eyes well up again.
The water level in the Ganges at Ara remains above danger marks; however, it is under control. Heavy rains and water flow from Nepal in August 2025 elevated the Ganges, affecting 2.5 million across 10 districts, including Bhojpur. Waterlogged lower areas in Ara persist, causing crop devastation.
