Bihar flood crisis intensifies as swollen Gandak breaches embankments across districts

The flood situation in Bihar has deteriorated sharply after heavy rainfall in Nepal’s Gandak basin sent a massive surge downstream, breaching embankments at several locations and affecting around 2.03 lakh people across six districts.

West Champaran, Saran, Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur are among the worst-hit areas, with floodwaters inundating villages, disrupting road connectivity and forcing residents to move to embankments, rooftops and other safer locations.

The Water Resources Department recorded a discharge of 5.435 lakh cusecs at the Valmikinagar Gandak Barrage, with the flow remaining above 5 lakh cusecs for several hours. The unusually high discharge has placed considerable pressure on embankments and low-lying areas along the river’s downstream course.

In Saran, the right Saran embankment near Haijalpur in Maker block was damaged during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. Damage was also reported near Baghakol, allowing floodwaters to spread into nearby low-lying areas.

A house in Haijalpur village was reportedly swept away by the strong current after the embankment gave way. Several villages have since been affected, with residents seeking refuge on higher ground and along embankments. Floodwater has also reached the NH-722 area near Maker, disrupting movement and raising concerns for settlements along the affected stretch.

The situation is similarly serious in Gopalganj, where the Bandhauli-Sheetalpur-Faizullahpur Zamindari Bund was breached at Sheetalpur in Baikunthpur block under pressure from the swollen Gandak. The initial breach was estimated to be around six metres wide, according to the Water Resources Department.

The breach has put low-lying areas around Parsauni, Sheetalpur and Pakhan at risk, with authorities monitoring the spread of water and stepping up efforts in vulnerable locations.

In Muzaffarpur, an old Gandak embankment at Jaimal Dumri in Paru block was also breached. Floodwaters subsequently moved towards nearby residential areas, prompting residents to shift to safer and elevated locations. Water was reported to have entered homes and roads in parts of the affected area as rescue and monitoring operations were intensified.

West Champaran continues to face severe flooding, with Bagaha, Bairia and Yogapatti among the areas affected by breaches in the Gandak embankment system. Many residents have taken shelter on roads, embankments and at relief centres.

The severity of the river surge was underscored by the Gandak reaching 91.25 metres at the Bagaha gauge, surpassing the previous record of 90.90 metres set in 2024.

Flooding has also disrupted road connectivity at multiple points. The Chhapra-Sattarghat route has been affected, while accumulated water on parts of the Areraj-Hajipur road has disrupted traffic. In West Champaran, floodwaters have also reached the Machhargawan area.

The rising Ganga is adding to the pressure in other parts of the state, with water levels increasing across the Patna-Begusarai-Khagaria belt. Several ghats in Patna have once again been affected by the rising river.

The expanding flood crisis has increased the pressure on authorities to maintain round-the-clock monitoring of vulnerable embankments, evacuate people from at-risk areas and ensure that food, drinking water and other relief supplies reach affected communities.

In Saran, District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava and SSP Roshan Kumar inspected affected areas and instructed officials to intensify rescue and relief operations.

With the Gandak continuing to remain swollen and several embankments under pressure, authorities in the affected districts are keeping a close watch on river levels and vulnerable stretches as rescue, evacuation and relief efforts continue.