Bihar is currently grappling with a severe flood crisis that has displaced thousands and caused widespread damage to infrastructure and agricultural land. Over the weekend, six barrages breached within 24 hours, causing major rivers like the Kosi, Gandak, and Bagmati to overflow, severely affecting districts near the Indo-Nepal border.
Although rainfall in Nepal eased on Monday, water discharge from the barrages remains a concern. The Meteorological Department has issued heavy rain and flood warnings, leading to the deployment of six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from other states, in addition to 12 NDRF and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams already operating in Bihar.
Sitamarhi, West Champaran, and Sheohar districts have been particularly affected, with multiple breaches along the Bagmati River. In West Champaran, floodwaters from the Gandak River inundated the Valmiki Tiger Reserve. Negligence in flood response led to the suspension of Nishikant Kumar, a local executive engineer.
The Water Resources Department reported that over 1.6 million people are impacted by the floods. In Muzaffarpur, the power grid control room was submerged, risking a power shutdown for 42,000 people. The Gandak River’s Valmikinagar barrage released its highest water level since 2003, while the Kosi River recorded its largest release in over 50 years.
Amid ongoing relief efforts, heavy rain alerts and flash flood warnings remain in place, with additional rainfall predicted, complicating the situation for the most affected districts.
