Patna: Rising floodwaters have cut off road access to several villages in Bihar, with the Ganga, Punpun, and Sone rivers swelling beyond danger marks in multiple regions. The worst-affected areas include parts of Patna, Danapur, Maner, and Diara, where local residents face growing risks of displacement, crop loss, and traffic disruptions.
In Patna, the water level of the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat has surged by 48cm in the past 24 hours, reaching its highest point this monsoon season at 49.57m on Tuesday evening. Similarly, the Punpun river rose by 19cm in Shripalpur, breaching danger marks and submerging ghats and roads in low-lying areas. Stairs at Gandhi Ghat are now underwater, while water has reached the pathway at Krishna Ghat, prompting restrictions on public movement.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in vulnerable areas, and the district administration has activated community kitchens and shelters in anticipation of possible evacuations.
In Maner, Digha Ghat, and Hathidah, the Ganga has risen by 16cm, 12cm, and 9cm respectively. The All India Flood, Drought and Erosion Victims Struggle Front has urged the Chief Minister and district authorities to initiate urgent relief work. According to the organisation’s national president, Rambhajan Singh Yadav, nearly 10 lakh people have been affected in the Diara region, stretching from Mokama to Danapur.
Farmers in Daniyawan block are grappling with submerged paddy fields following continuous rainfall and rising river levels. Locals report that over half of the standing crop has been destroyed. The waterlogged stretch of NH 30A near Haril Bigha has become treacherous, with potholes and one cart driver narrowly avoiding an accident on Tuesday evening.
Flood-like conditions have developed in at least six panchayats in Maner’s Diara region. Road connectivity has been severed near villages including Purani Panapur, Kasimchak, Hetanpur, and Ganghara. Rising water near Dudhaila has disrupted traffic on the Haldi Chhapra–Maner road, prompting BJP leader Munna Kumar and former district councillor Omprakash Rai to call for the deployment of government boats.
Meanwhile, a section of the side slope along the newly constructed Bakhtiyarpur–Mokama four-lane highway collapsed near Shivnar. Locals allege that the slope has failed at multiple spots even before the official inauguration.
To aid in mobility across inundated areas, the district administration has deployed 29 boats — including 10 in Maner and 15 in Nakata Diara. Additional boats have been stationed in Dhanrua, Ghoswari, and Bindtoli.
Further compounding the situation, the water level of the Son river has risen sharply due to rainfall in Madhya Pradesh. At Koilwar, the river climbed by 94cm in the past 24 hours, reaching 53.01m. Though still 2.5m below the danger mark, officials warn that it may breach it within days if the current trend continues.
Bihar’s Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary reviewed the situation on Tuesday, assuring that embankments are under constant surveillance and that the department is in “alert mode.” He emphasised that Bihar remains highly vulnerable to flooding due to rainfall and river inflows from neighbouring states including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Nepal.
“While this season’s rainfall has benefitted agriculture, it has also increased the risk of flooding in many areas,” the minister said.
