Flash Floods Devastate 13.5 Lakh Lives Across 12 Districts of Bihar; Heavy Rains to Continue on September 28

Rise in Ganga water levels in Patna Diyra area on Monday
(Pramod Sharma/BCCL)

Saturday, September 28: This week, 13.5 lakh people living in 12 districts of Bihar along the Ganga River, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Munger, and Bhagalpur have been affected by flash floods. Floodwaters have submerged homes and farmland, cutting off access to essential services in many regions.

Incessant rainfall in Nepal’s catchment areas is further compounding the problem. Rivers flowing through bordering districts are approaching or exceeding danger levels at several points, significantly increasing the risk of flooding.

In response to this growing threat, Bihar authorities have opened gates at the Valmikinagar Barrage on the Gandak River, releasing 6.87 lakh cusecs of water early Saturday morning. Similarly, the Water Resources Department released 7.54 lakh cusecs of water from the Kosi Birpur Barrage, aiming to relieve pressure on the river systems and reduce the potential for severe flooding.

Furthermore, a trough running from south Gujarat to northwest Bihar will bring isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely over Bihar on September 28, and isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall during the next subsequent five days.

Accordingly, several districts in Bihar have been placed on high alert for Saturday, following a heavy rainfall and flash flood warning issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).