NEW DELHI: “Services to the common people day night are services to mankind and almighty” — a Bihar cadre IAS woman officer proved this spirit behind these words once again when she left her young son at home and spent the night at a flood-threatened embankment on Wednesday night to Thursday early morning personally overseeing emergency work to prevent a breach that could have inundated thousands of homes .
Yes, she is present District Magistrate on Vaishali Varsha Singh ,who remained at the site in Lalganj throughout the night after reports emerged of leakage and erosion in the ring embankment at Pirapur, Ward No. 5 of Yusufpur Panchayat.
With the Gandak River continuing to rise and the threat of flooding hanging over the area, Singh reached the spot immediately and supervised the reinforcement and protective measures herself. She stayed there until around 4 am on Thursday, ensuring that the emergency work was completed and the situation brought under control.
For the thousands of people living in the vulnerable areas — many of them from poor and marginalised communities — the danger was largely unseen as they slept through the night. But their district magistrate ,who is called by them Collector Didi,was awake without telling them and disturbing their sleep,working against time to ensure that the rising waters did not turn into a devastating flood.
Officials said the District Magistrate personally monitored the work to control the leakage and erosion and strengthen the ring embankment. The necessary protective measures were completed at around 4 am, helping avert an immediate threat to the affected areas. The video showing her at the site drew public massive applauses and attention with appreciation in Bihar.
The Vaishali district administration faces the challenge of flooding almost every year as water levels in the Gandak rise during rainy season or due to an abrupt climate change in the Himalayan ranges or avalanche occurs.
Authorities, therefore, keep maintaining continuous surveillance across vulnerable areas, particularly in view of the possibility of further increases in the river's water level and renewed erosion.
Singh is also personally monitoring the reinforcement of the main embankment. Officials and technical teams have been directed to maintain round-the-clock vigilance over the ring embankment and to take immediate protective action whenever required. But , it was first time when a woman DM continued whole night at site where even treading might cause a disaster to a person at night due to water level high and areas inside deep river side on embarrassment.
But for many young people in Vaishali, Varsha Singh is much more than an administrator behind an official desk.
Known affectionately among girls and women in the district as “Collector Didi”, she regularly steps beyond conventional administrative duties to connect with the next generation. Twice a week, she interacts with schoolgirls and boys, guiding and mentoring them about career opportunities and the choices that can shape their futures.
Her efforts have earned her considerable affection and respect among the younger generation, particularly Gen-Z and other young people who see her not simply as the district's senior administrator, but as someone they can approach, speak to and learn from.
She also runs an initiative called “Jio Nanhi Pari”, aimed at encouraging families to support their daughters equally from birth through education and ultimately towards their careers. The initiative seeks to reinforce the message that a daughter's dreams deserve the same encouragement and opportunities as those of a son.
During the recent LPG crisis, Singh also devised an administrative strategy aimed at ensuring the availability of cooking gas while preventing black marketing. The approach was described as a successful model of crisis management in Bihar.
Explaining her approach recently to public service, Singh has told this newspaper, "What our goverment, led by CM sir under guidance CS sir wants to do for development, empowerment of poors and women and all is the primary duty to ensure that these schemes reach the beneficiaries.Amid all these , being alongwith the people in all times to address their problems and ensure developments to each of them is our as DM the second most sincere duty and I try to my best for ensuring services to the people".
Her approach, however, is perhaps best reflected in the hours she spends among the people rather than behind a desk.
A senior official from the state headquarters, praising her commitment, said, "Varsha takes a divine pleasure in working as DM as the most of her time even on off days,she remains eager to be in the fields and with the people..This quality is the essential in every bureaucrats which,of late,is seen rarely in some of us".
For the residents of flood-prone Vaishali, the image of their District Magistrate standing beside an embankment in the darkness of the night, overseeing emergency work while her own young child waited at home, has become a powerful reminder of what public service can look like when an administrator chooses to be physically present where people need her most.
And that may be why, among the young girls and women of the district, “Collector Didi” is more than a title. It is an expression of trust, affection and respect.