Bihar on High Alert: 13 Districts Brace For Flash Floods And Heavy Rainfall

Patna: As many as 13 districts in Bihar are at risk of “flash floods” over the next 24 hours as these areas will witness heavy rainfall, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday. 

According to IMD, West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Jehanabad, Madhubani and Bhojpur districts are the are likely to face downpour.

“These districts are at the risk of "low to moderate flash floods in the next 24 hours", the Met Department said.

13 Bihar Districts Likely To Face Flash Floods 

Bihar Disaster Management Department (DMD) has asked the district administration to remain on alert, and take preventive measures in the wake of the forecast.

“Around 12 districts situated along the Ganga, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Munger and Bhagalpur, are already experiencing a flood-like situation in the state, and nearly 13.5 lakh people living in low-lying areas have been affected by rising water levels of rivers, following torrential rainfall,” officials said.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Water Resources Department (WRD) has sounded an alert for floods in areas along the swollen Kosi and Gandak rivers.

6.81 Lakh Cusecs of Water To Be Released From Kosi Birpur Barrage 

The water level of several rivers has been rising across the state, following continuous rainfall over the past two to three days, the officials said.

“Incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers touching or flowing above the danger level at several places in the bordering districts. Keeping the gravity of the situation in mind, the authorities in Bihar will lift some gates at Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak river in the intervening night of September 27 and September 28, and release 6 lakh cusecs of water, the highest in the recent past,” a bulletin issued by the WRD said.

The authorities will also release 6.81 lakh cusecs of water around 12 noon on September 28 from the Kosi Birpur barrage, it said.