Bihar faces severe flooding: Over 1.6 mn affected, six barrages breached

Bihar has issued heavy rain and flood alerts, deploying six NDRF teams from other states, with a total of 12 NDRF and 22 SDRF teams conducting relief operations

Bihar is currently facing a catastrophic flood crisis that has displaced thousands and caused extensive damage to infrastructure as well as agricultural land. The situation worsened over the weekend when six barrages breached within a 24-hour period, leading to the overflow of major rivers such as the Kosi, Gandak, and Bagmati, and affecting districts near the Indo-Nepal border.

As the relentless rain in Nepal began to subside on Monday, water discharge from the barrages decreased. However, the Meteorological Department has issued heavy rain and flood alerts, prompting the deployment of six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from other states. Currently, a total of 12 NDRF teams and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are engaged in flood relief and rescue operations across Bihar.

 

The embankment of the Bagmati River breached at least four locations in the Sitamarhi district on Sunday evening, affecting thousands of residents along its banks. Similar breaches occurred in West Champaran and Sheohar districts, where floodwaters from the Gandak River inundated the Valmiki Tiger Reserve. In light of the negligence in coordinating local responses, Nishikant Kumar, the executive engineer of the Flood Control Division in Bagaha, has been suspended.

Impact on infrastructure

The state’s Water Resources Department reported that while water levels in some smaller rivers have started to decline, the situation remains critical for over 1.6 million people impacted by the floods. River levels have reached alarming heights, with the Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak River releasing 5.62 lakh cusecs of water — the highest level since 2003. The Birpur barrage on the Kosi River recorded 661,000 cusecs, the largest release in 56 years, trailing only behind the 1968 record of 788,000 cusecs.

Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary mentioned that continuous rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal has caused river levels to rise to or above danger thresholds in multiple bordering districts. In Darbhanga’s Raisari area, a government school was submerged after the Kamla Balan stream overflowed, with local residents expressing panic over the rapidly rising river levels.

Flood disrupts power supply

Power supplies have been disrupted for thousands of people as floodwaters inundated critical infrastructure. In Muzaffarpur, floodwaters breached the power grid control room, leading officials to warn that power could be shut down imminently, affecting approximately 42,000 to 43,000 consumers. The most severely impacted districts include East Champaran, Gopalganj, Araria, Supaul, Katihar, Purnea, and others.

The Meteorological Department has issued alerts for several districts, predicting heavy rainfall and warning of flash floods in parts of the state, further complicating the ongoing crisis.

(With agency inputs)