More than 19 lakh people across 11 districts of Bihar have been affected by severe flooding after the Ganga river crossed its previous highest flood level at Gandhi Ghat in Patna, prompting emergency alerts across downstream areas. According to official advisories issued on Sunday, rising water levels across multiple river systems have impacted approximately 19.57 lakh residents residing within 330 gram panchayats, triggering extensive rescue operations and transport disruptions.
Authorities reported that the Ganga reached 50.57 metres at Gandhi Ghat by 6 am on Sunday, exceeding the historic peak of 50.52 metres recorded on August 21, 2016. Water resources officials noted that the water level at Pandarak in Patna also surpassed its previous benchmark, touching 43.92 metres compared to the 43.73-metre mark set on August 16, 2021. With the current trend holding steady at these high elevations, subsequent gauge stations and downstream stretches face mounting pressure over the coming days.
Downstream Alerts and Vulnerable Districts
The Water Resources Department advisory specifically warned that the Ganga at Hathidah may breach its previous highest flood level, heightening vigilance across Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, and Katihar districts. Field-level authorities and administrative engineers have been instructed to maintain round-the-clock surveillance over vulnerable embankments, low-lying zones, and rising water channels.
Local administrations received explicit directives to strictly regulate boat operations to prevent overcrowding and to disseminate timely safety warnings urging residents to steer clear of swollen riverbanks. In addition to the Ganga, multiple river systems across the state are running above danger thresholds, including the Gandak, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Punpun, Bagmati, and Ghaghra.
Relief Operations and Emergency Deployments
To manage the humanitarian fallout across the eleven affected districts—which include Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, and Araria—the state administration has mobilized extensive rescue infrastructure. A total of 1,345 boats have been deployed to facilitate evacuations and movement through inundated localities.
Relief measures are being supplemented by 37 specialized response teams, comprising 27 squads from the State Disaster Response Force and 10 from the National Disaster Response Force. Furthermore, authorities have established 110 community kitchens across various districts to provide daily sustenance to displaced populations taking shelter in temporary accommodations.
Railway Network and Infrastructure Disruptions
Infrastructure networks have sustained significant operational disruptions due to the inundation, most notably along vital rail corridors. The East Central Railway announced on Sunday that several train services have been cancelled or diverted following the detection of alarmingly high water levels at bridge number 21.
This crucial railway asset connects the Punpun and Parsa Bazar stations along the Patna-Gaya section. Engineering teams are monitoring track stability and structural integrity around vulnerable bridge infrastructure as water levels remain elevated across local tributaries.
Administrative Outlook and Implementation Challenges
Local authorities face a critical window over the next one to three days as floodwaters move downstream toward Hathidah and neighboring districts. Managing evacuation logistics across 330 affected gram panchayats remains a primary operational challenge for deployed SDRF and NDRF units.
While community kitchens and boat services are currently operational, continuous monitoring of embankments will dictate whether further emergency displacement measures become necessary as weather patterns evolve across the region.
