Flood water enters Punpun town. Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
Patna: More than 34 lakh people have been affected by severe flooding across 13 districts of Bihar, with authorities issuing alerts for downstream areas after the Ganga River surpassed its previous highest flood level at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district.
According to the state Disaster Management Department, the floods have impacted approximately 34.31 lakh people across 480 gram panchayats as of Tuesday .
The affected districts include Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Khagaria, and Munger .
Several major rivers, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Punpun, Bagmati, and Ghaghra, are flowing above the danger level at multiple locations .
On Tuesday morning, the Ganga at Sultanganj recorded a water level of 36.80 metres, surpassing its previous highest flood level of 36.75 metres recorded on August 17, 2021 .
The water level of the Punpun River at Sripalpur was recorded at 53.55 metres, which is 2.95 metres above the danger mark of 50.60 metres .
The Budhi Gandak at Khagaria was flowing 1.98 metres above the danger level, while the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat in Patna was 1.71 metres above the danger mark .
According to the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre, the state has recorded 79.6 mm of rainfall in September so far, which is 31 per cent above normal .
In a separate incident, a small boat capsized in the flood-hit Kharik Raghopur area of Bhagalpur district on Tuesday morning, with State Disaster Relief Force personnel rescuing all ten people on board .
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary visited flood-affected areas in Vaishali and Saran districts to inspect community kitchens and relief camps .
‘Visited the flood-affected areas of Vaishali and Saran and inspected the relief camps in Hajipur and Sonepur. Interacted with people in the relief camps to assess the arrangements, personally served food and also ate with them,’ Choudhary said in a social media post .
The Chief Minister said the water level of the Ganga has receded by approximately 17-18 centimetres and that the situation is expected to improve over the next two to three days .
‘The situation is concerning. Water levels are steadily dropping; the Ganga’s water level has receded by approximately 17-18 centimetres, and officials are continuously monitoring the situation. About 1.5 million units of water are being released daily at Farakka. I believe the situation will improve over the next 2-3 days, bringing relief to everyone,’ Choudhary told ANI .
Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that the floods be declared a ‘national disaster’ and that immediate financial assistance of ₹5,000 crore be provided to the state .
The state government is running 432 community kitchens across the affected districts, along with 14 relief camps providing shelter, food, and medical care .
Authorities have distributed approximately 1.29 lakh polythene sheets and 22,900 dry ration packets to affected people .
A total of 1,832 boats are being operated for evacuation and transportation, while 3,142 quintals of animal fodder have been distributed .
A total of 27 State Disaster Response Force teams and 10 National Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed across various districts for rescue operations .
The Disaster Management Department said the discharge at the Gandak Barrage was recorded at 1,04,400 cusecs on Tuesday morning, with the trend remaining stable, while the Kosi Barrage recorded a discharge of 1,69,985 cusecs, showing a declining trend .
Officials have reported that water levels in some rivers have started to recede in certain areas, though the situation remains serious in downstream districts including Munger and Bhagalpur .
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