A severe flood crisis is gripping several parts of Bihar, particularly in districts near the Indo-Nepal border, due to heavy rainfall in Nepal's catchment areas. The Gandak River, along with other major rivers like the Kosi and Bagmati, has surged to unprecedented levels, causing widespread devastation.
Record Water Discharge and Embankment Breaches
The Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak River released 5.62 lakh cusecs of water, the highest since 2003, before reducing the discharge to 1.89 lakh cusecs. Similarly, the Birpur barrage on the Kosi River released 6.61 lakh cusecs, marking the highest release in 56 years. These record discharges have led to the breach of six barrages in 24 hours, exacerbating the flood situation.
The breaches in the embankments, particularly in Sitamarhi, West Champaran, and Sheohar districts, have flooded large areas, affecting thousands of people living along the riverbanks. The Bagmati River's embankment breached in at least four places in Sitamarhi district, while the Gandak River breach in West Champaran sent large volumes of floodwater into the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
Impact on Infrastructure and Daily Life
The floods have inundated schools, power grid complexes, and other critical infrastructure. In Muzaffarpur, the power grid control room was submerged, threatening to cut off power supplies to around 42,000 to 43,000 consumers. A government school in the Raisari area of Darbhanga was also submerged after the Kamla Balan stream overflowed.
Farmers in the affected districts face significant losses due to damage to their Kharif crops, including paddy and vegetables. The floods have entered over 200 villages, displacing thousands and forcing many to relocate to relief camps.
Rescue and Relief Efforts
To mitigate the crisis, 12 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed across the state. Local authorities have been alerted to take preventive measures, and health camps have been set up to assist flood-affected people.
The Bihar Disaster Management Department has issued a flood alert in 13 districts, and the Water Resources Department has cancelled leaves of all officials to monitor the situation closely. Public announcements have been made in Supaul district, urging people living in villages between the eastern and western Kosi embankments to shift to higher ground.
