Dozens of local youths and villagers gathered on Saturday in Manihari, Bahadurpur block, Darbhanga, to protest against alleged large-scale soil excavation near a security embankment. Villagers claim that approximately 20 tipper trucks and JCBs are being used to cut soil 15 to 20 feet deep, which is then being transported for filling purposes at the under-construction AIIMS Darbhanga.

Villagers expressed serious concerns, stating that the security embankment was built to protect Darbhanga city from floods, and a river also flows nearby. They fear that such deep excavation close to the embankment could compromise its structural integrity, leading to a risk of the embankment breaking during future floods and inundating large parts of Darbhanga city. They alleged that while ordinary citizens are allowed to cut soil from their private land only to a limited depth, large-scale and excessively deep mining is occurring here without any administrative action.

Local resident Radheshyam Yadav stated that rules for soil cutting should be uniform for everyone, and despite informing the mining department, no official has visited the site. Another villager, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, questioned the legality of the current soil cutting, citing restrictions on mining during the monsoon season. Villagers also alleged that the contractor is a relative of a Rajya Sabha MP, which is why no action is being taken. They demanded that if the contractor possesses valid permits, they should be made public. Meanwhile, according to departmental reports, permission has been granted for soil cutting from the Khiroi river for the AIIMS Darbhanga campus.