Patna: The flood situation in Bihar has turned severe as the Ganga, Kosi, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Punpun and Bagmati rivers continue to swell, affecting 22.42 lakh people across 12 districts, 70 blocks and 368 panchayats, according to the latest situation report.
In Patna, the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat rose to 50.57 metres, surpassing the previous record of 50.52 metres recorded in 2016. Rising water has entered several localities in Patna City, while villages in areas along the Punpun river have also been inundated.
At Hathidah, the Ganga reached the 2021 record level of 43.52 metres at around 11 pm. The situation has also affected embankments in Patna, with several stretches reportedly damaged due to the Punpun, Dardha and Mahatmain rivers.
In Chhapra’s Dariyapur, a 20-foot breach in the Mahi river embankment inundated several villages. In Bhagalpur’s Akbarnagar, an overflowing ring embankment reportedly flooded around 4,000 houses across nine panchayats of Sultanganj.
Floodwaters have also disrupted road connectivity. Around two feet of water is flowing over NH-80, while the approach road to a four-lane underpass in Samastipur’s Mohanpur has caved in.
20 deaths reported in flood-related incidents
The flood has also resulted in casualties. At least 20 people have died after drowning in floodwaters in different districts, according to the information available so far.
In Bhojpur, two minors drowned in separate incidents in floodwater in the Mufassil police station area on Saturday.
The first incident took place in Daulatpur village, where nine-year-old Aryan, son of Santosh Chaudhary, drowned. Aryan was a Class 3 student.
In another incident in Shobhi Dumra village, 11-year-old Shivji Paswan, son of Ramsurat Paswan, drowned in floodwater. Shivji was a Class 7 student.
Police conducted post-mortems in both cases and handed over the bodies to the families.
NDRF, SDRF deployed; 1,429 boats in operation
Authorities have intensified relief and rescue operations across the affected areas. Ten NDRF teams and 27 SDRF teams have been deployed, while 1,429 boats are being used to assist people stranded by floodwaters.
In Munger, the Ganga remains above the danger mark, with six blocks affected by the rising water level. In Supaul, floodwater has entered around 25 villages, while 10 panchayats in Khagaria have been affected.
In Begusarai’s Balia block, floodwater has submerged roads, schools and a hospital in Paharpur village. As many as 87 schools in Begusarai district have been closed due to the flood, with residents depending on boats for transportation.
Pappu Yadav’s convoy gets stuck in Bhojpur floodwater
Purnia MP Pappu Yadav visited flood-affected areas of Bhojpur’s Barhara block on Sunday to assess the situation.
While travelling on the Ara-Saraiya main road, where floodwater had risen to waist level, his convoy became stranded. Yadav reportedly attempted to drive his vehicle through the water, but the vehicle got stuck because of the depth of the floodwater.
He subsequently got out of the vehicle and walked through the floodwater to meet local residents. Villagers raised concerns about transportation, food supplies, cattle fodder and other essential requirements.
Behta-Sarmera four-lane road develops large crater
Floodwater pressure also caused a section of the Behta-Sarmera four-lane road near Nema in Punpun to sink on Monday morning.
A five-foot-wide and around three-foot-deep crater developed on the road after water reportedly leaked through a culvert pipe beneath it. Local residents alerted the police through the 112 emergency number and warned motorists approaching the damaged section.
Repair work was subsequently started using a poclain machine. Project manager Krishna Murari said the damage occurred due to floodwater pressure and leakage in the culvert pipe. He said repairs were expected to be completed by Monday. Traffic on the four-lane road has not been stopped.
Rain alert issued for nine districts
Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon remains active over Bihar. The Meteorological Centre has forecast rain in nine districts on Monday, with winds potentially reaching 30 kmph in some areas. There is also a possibility of lightning in isolated locations, prompting authorities to advise residents to remain cautious.
Samastipur witnessed fog on Monday morning, accompanied by a noticeable chill in the weather. The Meteorological Centre has indicated that relatively dry conditions may prevail until September 9, although light rain could continue in some areas.
Munger records highest rainfall in 24 hours
Several districts received significant rainfall over the past 24 hours. Munger recorded the highest rainfall at 73 mm, followed by Patna at 68 mm, Banka at 67 mm, Muzaffarpur at 65 mm, and Jamui and Siwan at 55 mm each.
Despite the recent rainfall, Bihar has received less rain than normal during the current monsoon. Against the expected 820.9 mm, the state has recorded 531.3 mm, a deficit of around 35%.
Patna weather forecast
Patna received 68 mm of rain in the past 24 hours. The capital is expected to remain generally cloudy over the next day, with a lower possibility of continuous heavy rain. Light rain may occur at isolated locations, while humidity is likely to persist.
Weather experts expect no major change in maximum temperatures over the next few days. Cloudy conditions and localised rainfall may continue across several districts, although rainfall is unlikely to be uniform throughout the state.
The immediate concern, however, remains the rising river levels and flooding in low-lying areas, with rescue agencies continuing operations across affected districts.
