In response to the escalating threat, the state Disaster Management Department has issued an alert for residents living along riverbanks and in low-lying areas of Bhojpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Nalanda, Begusarai, Lakhisarai and Jehanabad, urging them to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures ahead of the anticipated peak.
Patna's Rivers Breach Danger Marks Significantly
In Patna, the Ganga was recorded flowing 1.17 metres above the danger mark at Digha, 1.67 metres above at Gandhi Ghat, and 1.32 metres above at Hathidah. The Punpun River was measured at 2.29 metres above the danger mark at Shripalpur, while the Dardha River was flowing a striking 3.07 metres above the danger mark at Kolhachak, underscoring how widely the flooding has spread beyond the Ganga alone.
Why It Matters: Bhagalpur's Farmland Underwater
In Bhagalpur, the Ganga rose by 15 cm over the past 24 hours, causing floodwaters to re-enter diara areas of Nathnagar, Naugachia and Pirpainti. Vast tracts of agricultural land, along with standing crops and fodder, have been submerged, a development likely to have significant economic consequences for farming households in the district in the weeks ahead.
Khagaria Among the Worst-Hit
Khagaria remains one of the most severely affected districts, with the Ganga flowing 1.01 metres above the danger mark. The Kosi, Bagmati and Burhi Gandak rivers were also recorded significantly above their respective danger levels, adding to concerns of further flooding across the district and neighbouring areas.
Infrastructure Under Threat in Raghopur
In Raghopur, officials reported severe erosion and land subsidence along a railway line following the near-complete erosion of a marginal embankment. The main channel of the Ganga has shifted dangerously close to the tracks, affecting areas within a two-to-three-kilometre radius, a development that raises serious concerns about rail connectivity and safety in the affected stretch.
Rising Waters in Munger and Madhepura
The Ganga's water level in Munger rose by 36 cm over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, in Madhepura district's Alamnagar and Chausa blocks, nearly one lakh people have been affected by the floods, prompting authorities to deploy 35 boats for rescue and relief operations, one of the largest single-district impact figures reported so far in this flood cycle.
Damage to Roads and Bridges
In Banka district, a diversion road built for an under-construction bridge near Barsanda village was washed away by the strong current of the Mirchni River. Several villages in Saharsa have also been inundated, adding to the growing list of affected areas across the state.
Road Connectivity Disrupted Across Districts
Floodwaters have disrupted road connectivity in several districts. In West Champaran, traffic has come to a standstill on the Yogapatti-Chhota Chaumukha-Siswa Mangalpur road, where water is flowing two to three feet above the roadway. Around two dozen villages in Samastipur have been affected by flooding, with several rural roads submerged, while traffic movement has also been disrupted on the Kachchi Dargah-Bidupur six-lane bridge in Patna, a major connectivity link in the state capital.
Raghopur Block Cut Off
All panchayats in the Raghopur block of Vaishali district have been affected, with nearly 20 panchayats losing road connectivity to the main network. This isolation is significantly hampering relief operations and the movement of residents in and out of the affected areas.
The Bigger Picture
With the Ganga poised to breach its Highest Flood Level in Patna by Friday night and multiple other rivers, including the Kosi, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Punpun and Dardha, all flowing well above danger marks, Bihar's flood management systems face mounting pressure across a widening geographic footprint. The combination of submerged farmland, damaged infrastructure and cut-off panchayats suggests the humanitarian and economic toll is likely to grow in the coming days.
The Bottom Line
As water levels continue climbing across Patna, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Madhepura, Munger, Banka, Saharsa, West Champaran, Samastipur and Vaishali, authorities face an intensifying challenge in coordinating rescue, relief and infrastructure protection efforts simultaneously across multiple districts, with the situation likely to remain critical through the coming days as rivers approach or exceed historic flood levels.
.jpg.jpeg)
