Patna, Sep 29 (IANS): Bihar’s flood situation has again come under pressure following heavy rainfall in Nepal’s Gandak river basin and a sharp rise in water discharge at the Valmikinagar barrage. Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, said the impact of rainfall in Nepal was being felt in Bihar and that the flood pattern in the state was changing.
He said the volume of water discharge was lower than the levels recorded in 2024, while the Water Resources Department was closely monitoring the situation.
Speaking at a press conference at the JD(U) office in Patna, Chaudhary said a Water Resources Department team had reached Valmikinagar overnight and was continuously monitoring the situation.
He expressed hope that conditions would improve by the evening if there was no further significant rainfall in Nepal.
Earlier, the department had reported a sharp increase in Gandak discharge at Valmikinagar following heavy rainfall in the river’s catchment area in Nepal.
Officials had been placed on round-the-clock alert and additional engineers deployed along the embankments.
The situation has been compounded by breaches in the Champaran embankment in West Champaran.
A breach was reported near Khairtawa village in the Bagaha area after the Gandak rose above its previous highest flood level.
Water subsequently entered agricultural areas, while authorities deployed teams for emergency repair and restoration work.
Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav inspected the damaged embankment in Bagaha on Tuesday and criticised the NDA government’s flood-management arrangements.
He demanded action against engineers and officials whom he alleged were responsible for the breaches.
Yadav questioned the effectiveness of the large sums spent every year on anti-erosion and flood-control measures, arguing that embankments continue to remain vulnerable despite the expenditure.
Yadav said the Valmikinagar-Bagaha region faces a recurring flood threat and claimed that thousands of acres of agricultural land are affected during flooding.
He demanded the construction of guide bunds and spurs along vulnerable stretches of the embankments and called for measures to address silt accumulation in the river.
The MP also questioned the arrangements for flood relief, boats, medical facilities and community kitchens in affected areas.
Yadav called for a high-level enquiry into embankment breaches during 2024 and 2026 and demanded action against officials found responsible after the investigation.
Pappu Yadav further demanded that the Valmikinagar and Bagaha areas be declared a national disaster zone.
He sought a waiver of farmers’ loans from the past five years and compensation for losses caused by the floods.
He also called for a comprehensive assessment of flood damage using drones and AI-based technology and demanded that immediate relief and compensation reach affected families.
These demands and allegations were made by Yadav and would require assessment by relevant authorities.
The Water Resources Department has continued monitoring the Gandak and its embankments amid the heightened flood threat.
Recent reports indicate that several low-lying areas of West Champaran have been inundated, with floodwater entering homes and disrupting road connectivity in parts of the district.
Officials are carrying out repair work at vulnerable points and monitoring water levels and discharge as the situation develops.
