PATNA, June 17 -- With the monsoon season beginning in the state, the water resources department ( WRD) has issued directives to all engineers to identify and plug rodent holes, fox holes and other leakages in embankments so that there are no damages or breaches in case of any flood-like situation in vulnerable districts, officials said. Sources said district magistrates had been asked to ensure that 3,800 km embankments and 2,600 km of zamindari bunds, located across the state in north and south Bihar, were properly maintained. The officials had been asked to focus on plugging the rodent holes and fox holes, which led to seepage of water leading to damage of the embankments, they added. " Rodent holes cause damage to embankments and lead to seepage when water level rises in rivers following heavy rains. There are other leakages that take place in embankments like fox holes . So, we have been prioritising the works ahead of the monsoon season so that the bunds remain protected," said a WRD official. The DMs and engineers have also been asked to cut vegetation along the embankments so that the structures to protect habitations from any flood-like situation are protected. "We have allotted Rs.21 crore for purpose of maintenance and also asked the engineers to purchase brush cutter machines in all divisions for cutting of vegetations along the embankments. These are some measures to protect the embankments," said another senior WRD official. WRD minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said the department was geared up for flood protection and all measures to protect embankments were being taken. "We have already issued directives to fill up rodent holes, fox holes and other leakage points. Besides , our department this time is also acting taking lessons from last year's floods in north Bihar," said Chaudhary. He said the floods last year were due to heavy rains in Nepal and subsequent discharge of water from the rivers flowing from Nepal but there was not much damage to standing crops and property due to better flood management. Incidentally, the WRD's focus on rodent holes have come up in last five to six years after there was a big controversy during the 2017 floods when then water resources minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh had admitted that rodent holes had caused damages to embankments and there were seepage in some embankments from rivers due to them....