A RIVER IN FLOOD

A RIVER IN FLOOD 

I spent two weeks of my summer vacation with my friend in his village. It a very beautiful village situated near the River Chenab. There were two 
protective bunds , fifteen feet high all round the village. They were very strong and had always saved the village from the floods. 
         It was the month of August. The rainy season had started. The river was in low flood. There was a grove of trees, near the river. Every day we went there to spend the evening. 
        One afternoon, we noticed that the water in the river was rising. In an hour, it had overflowed the banks. We ran back to the village and told the 
people that the river was in flood. I was told that there was nothing to worry.The two bunds were strong enough to protect the village. In the evening, the sky was completely covered with thick black clouds. Soon it began to rain in torrents. 
         As soon as the rain stopped we went to the river. From quite a distance we could hear the roaring waters. The land on both the banks was under deep water. Only the rapidly moving currents of water showed .the proper place of  the river. The water was lashing against the bund. It was rising every moment. It was already some eleven feet high. 
      On the other side of the river there were three tiny villages but no bund.  Later, I was told that the inhabitants 7 had left before the flood reached there.  This news satisfied us. It appeared that the first bund would not withstand the  angry flood for long. The trees on the bund had already fallen. The water was  eroding the bund rapidly. 
        All the people gathered in the school ground. It was decided that the  women and children should be sent to a nearby village which was situated on a hillock. The men were asked to get shovels, axes and baskets and report at the second bund. They began to dig earth and reinforce the bund to protect the village  if the first one was breached.
           Suddenly, I saw water rushing towards us. The first bund had given  way at many points. Fortunately; the area between two bunds was very low.  In a short time it looked like a big lake. When the miter struck the bund we were
Standing  by, it had spread and spent its force. Its level was now only five feet high. Most of us spent that night in a state of fear. But the next day brought us good news. The water was receding.