North Bihar rivers in spate; fresh flooding looms large

Other rivers, including stretches of the Burhi Gandak, Ganga and Ghaghra rivers are hovering close to warning levels with mostly rising or steady trends.

Several major rivers originating from Nepal continue to surge dramatically, crossing danger marks and raising fresh fears of flooding in the neighbouring districts, officials of the water resources department (WRD) said here on Wednesday..

North Bihar rivers in spate. (HT Photo)

Rivers like Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Lal Bakeya— all originating in Himalayan foothills — are in spate, according to the latest bulletin from the state’s central flood control cell. The water is rising fast in places, turning familiar landscapes into anxious watch zones for thousands of residents.

At Dumaria Ghat in Gopalganj, the Gandak river stood at 62.82 metres, a worrying 60 centimetres above the danger mark of 62.22 metres, and was still rising. Further east, Kosi at Baltara in Khagaria was measured at 34.90 metres, 19 centimetres over its red line, though its trend has begun to fluctuate. The Bagmati at Kataunjha (Muzaffarpur) was 85 centimetres above danger at 55.85 metres and climbing, while the Lal Bakeya at Gowabari (East Champaran) had edged 15 centimetres past its threshold.

Other rivers, including stretches of the Burhi Gandak, Ganga and Ghaghra rivers are hovering close to warning levels with mostly rising or steady trends.

Heavy and relentless rains in Nepal’s Himalayan catchment areas in the past couple of days have increased flow of water downstream into the state’s flat plains. The Kosi was releasing over 1.55 lakh cusecs at Birpur barrage, while the Gandak at Valmikinagar carried around 1.75 lakh cusecs at 2 pm today..

With the India meteorological department (IMD) forecasting more rain across Bihar in the coming days, officials are keeping a close eye on vulnerable embankments and low-lying areas. Local administrations in districts such as Gopalganj, Khagaria, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran Supaul, Saharsa, Madhubani and Sitamarhi have already begun issuing alerts. In some pockets, families have started moving to higher ground or nearby relief camps as water begins to enter low-lying villages.

Meanwhile, the WRD, Bihar state disaster management authority, and district teams have deployed watchmen along embankments, stocked relief materials, positioned motorboats, and activated 24x7 control rooms. Engineers are filing regular updates, reflecting the round-the-clock monitoring now underway.