Bihar Flood Update: Gandak and Koshi Rivers Overflow, Embankment Breached

Patna: Continuous rainfall since September 27 in the Nepal division has led to record-high water levels in major rivers such as the Gandak, Koshi, Mahananda, and Bagmati. On September 28 at 10:00 am, the Gandak Barrage in Valmikinagar saw a flow of 5.62 lakh cusecs, significantly higher than the 4.40 lakh cusecs recorded on July 7 this year. The rising water caused new record water levels at Chhatauni Ghat and Bagaha gauge stations, reaching 94.00 m and 90.90 m, respectively.

The increasing pressure from the Gandak River caused a breach in the Champaran embankment at Bagaha-1 in West Champaran district, with damage recorded at km 4.50 on 29 September at 5:00 pm. Efforts to repair the breach are ongoing, but the incident has already led to the suspension of Nishikant Kumar, the Executive Engineer of the Flood Control Division, Bagaha, for negligence and lack of coordination with district authorities.

Meanwhile, on Sunday at 5:00 am, the Koshi Barrage in Beerpur recorded a flow of 6.61 lakh cusecs, significantly up from 3.93 lakh cusecs earlier in July. In response, traffic has been restricted in the area. An over-topping situation occurred at the barrage on the night of September 28, with debris and logs blocking the gates. These obstacles were cleared, and further protection work, including constructing dowels on lower spurs along the Koshi embankments, is underway.

In the wake of rainfall in the Nepal catchment area, the Bagmati River’s embankment in Nepal was breached on Saturday, flooding nearby areas. On Sunday, a new high of 73.35 m was recorded at the Dheng gauge station in Sitamarhi district, surpassing the previous record by 0.35 m.

Flood control operations have been ramped up across the state. Damage to embankments along the Bagmati River in several blocks of Sitamarhi district and Shivhar has been contained through timely intervention. However, the right embankment near Madhkaul village in Belsand block, Sitamarhi, was damaged over a 35 m stretch on Sunday, and work is ongoing to secure the area.

Other rivers have also seen significant rises, with the Kamla Balan River at Jhanjharpur, the Lalbekia River at Gowabari, and the Mahananda River at Taiyabpur and Dhegraghat all exceeding danger levels.

While embankments and structures along the Balan, Lalbekia, and Mahananda rivers are currently safe, continuous monitoring is being conducted to ensure the safety of flood-prone areas.