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Several districts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have been placed on high alert after intense rainfall in Nepal’s Gandak River catchment caused flash flooding and embankment breaches along the river on September 28. The surge has ignited concerns over inundation in downstream areas, especially in low-lying villages and districts relying on the Gandak and its tributaries.
Gandak Discharge Triggers Flood Alert
According to Bihar’s Water Resources Department, the Valmikinagar Gandak Barrage recorded a discharge of 5,43,500 cusecs at 6 am on Tuesday. The discharge remained above 5 lakh cusecs for 13 hours and above 4 lakh cusecs for 32 hours, putting pressure on downstream flood-control structures. By Thursday night, Ghaghara River is anticipated to fall by 30-55 cm compared to this evening. Continue to use caution if going near the riverfront.
The river also crossed a new Highest Flood Level at the Bagaha gauge. The water level rose to 91.25 metres, exceeding the previous record of 90.90 metres recorded in 2024.
Embankment Breaches in Bihar and UP
The heavy flow caused seepage, piping and overtopping at several locations. Emergency teams could secure 169 seepage and piping points, but breaches were later reported at three sites during the night of September 28 and 29.
In West Champaran, two breaches were reported along the left bank of the Champaran embankment. One, near Khairatwa village in Bagaha-1 block, was around 10 metres wide. Officials said water was spreading into fields, while low-lying areas around Agastya, Khairatwa and Chandrapur faced the possibility of inundation and connectivity disruptions.
Another breach occurred at Phuliyakhar village in Bairia block. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a breach happened on the right bank of the Gandak in Kushinagar district.
Indian Districts Under Flood Watch
The flood threat encompasses West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali in Bihar. Heavy rainfall in West Champaran, East Champaran and Gopalganj on September 26 and 27 had already elevated water levels before the surge.
Officials have warned that although water levels at the barrage were showing a receding trend, downstream areas could temporarily witness rising levels as the surge moves through the river system.
Authorities Step Up Response
The Bihar Water Resources Department and West Champaran administration have deployed teams to repair breaches and strengthen vulnerable embankments. Four teams led by executive engineers were sent to Bagaha, Bettiah, Motihari and Gopalganj to supervise anti-erosion measures and emergency works.
Current IMD Flash Flood Warnings
High-risk warnings for flash floods have been issued for vulnerable areas across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and coastal Andhra Pradesh
What Is Causing the Flood-Like Situation?
The widespread flood-like conditions across northern India are linked to the interaction of two weather systems occurring as the southwest monsoon begins to withdraw from the region. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a deep depression has been interacting with moisture associated with an approaching Western Disturbance, contributing to intense rainfall over parts of North India.
In Uttar Pradesh, the heavy rain was also influenced by a well-marked low-pressure area over northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh. The system produced isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over western parts of the state and isolated heavy rainfall in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The combination of abundant moisture and favourable atmospheric conditions led to intense spells of rain, contributing to waterlogging, rising river levels and flooding in vulnerable areas.