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More than 49 lakh people in 15 districts of Bihar were affected by floods on Monday as heavy rain over the past few days further swelled the rivers of the state already flowing above their danger marks. The local weather office said the state has recorded 111.7 mm of rain so far in September, around 13 per cent above normal. An official said incessant rain in catchment areas of rivers flowing from Nepal into Bihar and heavy rainfall in the state itself have caused several rivers and streams to flow above their danger marks. According to the Disaster Management Department, around 49.36 lakh people in 15 districts have been affected by floods. These districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura and Araria. The Ganga was flowing at 36.21 metres at 6 am on Monday at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur, which was 1.71 metres above the danger level. The Kosi river was flowing above the danger mark at
Over 48 lakh people remained affected in flood-hit Bihar on Sunday, even as waters started to recede in most rivers which had been flowing above the danger mark, officials said. Bihar has received 111.7 mm of rainfall so far in September, around 13 per cent above normal, officials said. Around 48.70 lakh people in 575 gram panchayats across 88 blocks of 15 districts were affected by the deluge, they said. Among the worst-affected districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, and Araria, according to the Disaster Management Department (DMD). The Kosi was flowing above the danger mark at Baltar and Kursela, the Burhi Gandak at Khagaria, the Ganga at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger, the Punpun at Sripalpur, the Bagmati at Benibad and the Ghaghra at Darauli and Gangpur Siswan, the DMD said. The administration is operating 1,257 community kitchens, and 13 relief camps are in flood-affected areas. Arrangements for accommodation, food
More than 46 lakh people across 15 districts of Bihar have been affected by floods, with the situation remaining grim on Friday as water levels continued to flow above the danger mark at several locations, officials said. Incessant rain across the state, coupled with heavy downpour in Nepal's catchment areas, has caused rivers and streams to overflow, officials said. According to the latest bulletin released by the Disaster Management Department (DMD), around 46.88 lakh people in 561 gram panchayats across 88 blocks in 15 districts have been affected by floods. The affected districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura and Araria. Among the worst-affected districts are Bhagalpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Begusarai, Katihar, Purnea and Buxar. According to the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre, the state has so far recorded 90 mm of rain in September, which is 20 per cent above normal
More than 40 lakh people have been affected by floods across 14 districts of Bihar following torrential rains over the past five days, with several rivers flowing above the danger mark, officials said on Wednesday. "Incessant rain in various districts caused rivers and streams to overflow. Besides, heavy rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers flowing above the danger level at several places," an official said. According to a statement by the Disaster Management Department (DMD), around 40.21 lakh people in 514 gram panchayats across 84 blocks in 14 districts have been affected by floods. The affected districts are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnia and Arwal. According to the meteorological service centre, the state has recorded 79.6 mm of rainfall in September so far, which is 31 per cent above normal. In its latest bulletin, the DMD said, "The Ganga at Sultanganj in Bhagalpu
Around 27 lakh people have been affected as rivers overflowing in Bihar inundated 13 districts, prompting Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to direct officials on Monday to ensure prompt relief and rescue operations while inspecting community kitchens for flood victims in Vaishali and Bhagalpur. Officials said 190 community kitchens were being run in various flood-hit districts, while 1,429 boats have been pressed into service for relief and rescue operations. CM Samrat Choudhary and his deputy Vijay Kumar Choudhary inspected the community kitchens in Vaishali and Bhagalpur, and directed the local authorities to continuously monitor river embankments and keep a close watch on vulnerable areas. Authorities have already sounded an alert in downstream areas of the Ganga after the river touched its highest flood mark at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna. Fed by heavy rainfall, rivers have swelled and inundated 13 districts of Bihar, affecting 27 lakh people, officials said. So far in ...
Around 10.26 lakh people across 11 districts of Bihar have been affected by floods, while the Ganga water level rose by 10 cm at Gandhi Ghat here, crossing the 'highest flood mark' on Saturday morning, amid heavy rain in the state, official bulletins said. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary directed ministers and officials to visit flood-affected areas and closely monitor relief and rescue operations. Senior officials have been asked to camp in affected areas and ensure close supervision of relief measures, amid rising water levels in the Ganga river, he said. The Ganga was flowing 1 cm above the 'highest flood mark' at 10 am, posing a risk of inundation in low-lying areas in the state's capital, a Water Resources Department bulletin said. People have been asked to exercise caution in view of the rising water level of the river. BJP national president Nitin Nabin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CM were monitoring the situation. Several rivers across Bihar are flowing above
Incessant rains lashed several parts of Bihar over the past 24 hours, causing water levels in major rivers to rise and prompting authorities to remain on alert, officials said on Wednesday. All 69 gates of the Sone Barrage at Indrapuri in Rohtas district have been opened to facilitate the flow of water and help control the flood situation, they said. According to the latest bulletin issued by the Bihar Water Resources Department (WRD), the Kosi, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Ganga and Punpun rivers are flowing above the danger mark at several places, while water levels at some other locations have reached the warning level. The Gandak was flowing above the danger mark at Dumaria Ghat in Gopalganj, Sidhwalia and adjoining areas, the bulletin said. The Kosi was flowing above the danger mark at Baltara in Khagaria and Kursela in Katihar. The Burhi Gandak and Ganga were also flowing above the danger mark at several locations, while the Punpun had crossed the danger mark at some places. No ..
Bihar and Jharkhand on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to share 7.75 million acre-feet of water from the Sone River, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, "permanently resolving" the nearly 25-year-old water dispute between the two states, officials said. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, the Union home secretary, and senior officials from the central government and the two states were present at the signing ceremony. In a post on X, Shah said the agreement would ensure adequate irrigation and drinking water for large populations in Bihar and Jharkhand. "It will directly benefit lakhs of farmers in both states and give new momentum to the development of rural areas. If all states move forward as one team, there is no problem that cannot be resolved," he said. Speaking at the ceremony, Shah said the agreement to resolve the nearly 25-year-o
The Bihar government has decided to replace the word "fail" with the phrase "eligible for skill training" in the marksheets of students appearing for Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations from the current academic session, officials said on Saturday. The move is aimed at enabling the students to pursue vocational training programmes offered by the Bihar Board of Open Schooling and Examination (BBOSE), they said. "The Education Department will amend the rules accordingly to implement this change. The department will soon issue necessary instructions to the BSEB. Instead of 'Fail', the certificates will carry the term 'Eligible for Skill Development'," Bihar Education Minister Mithlesh Tiwary told reporters here. Tiwary said students' talent does not disappear merely because they fail to secure the expected marks in an examination. "Students appearing for the Class 10 board supplementary examinations will be provided special sessions for one month to help them prepare and improve
The water level of the Gandak river, which was in spate after the flash floods in Nepal a day ago, was showing a receding trend on Thursday, bringing respite to the residents of low-lying areas in northern parts of Bihar, an official said. The discharge from the Gandak Barrage at Valmikinagar in West Champaran, the northernmost district of the state that shares a border with the neighbouring country, also declined with the receding water level in the river system, he said. Bihar was put on high alert on Wednesday as floodwaters from Nepal entered the Gandak river and reached the barrage, prompting the authorities concerned to open all 36 gates to control the surge. The water discharge from Valmikinagar barrage declined from 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm on Wednesday to 1.04 lakh cusecs on Thursday morning. "The water discharge from the Gandak barrage at Valmikinagar peaked at 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm on Wednesday, after which the water level began receding," the Water Resources ...
Philanthropist Sudha Murty on Sunday visited the ancient Barabar Caves in Bihar's Jehanabad district and advocated their inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list, officials said. Murty, a noted author and Rajya Sabha MP, arrived at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna on Saturday. "I have come to Patna after over two decades, and it pleases me to see the progress here over time," she had said after her arrival. According to a statement issued by the Jehanabad district administration, Murty appreciated the construction techniques, artistic excellence and historical significance of the rock-cut caves. She particularly praised the mirror-like polish on the cave walls and the distinctive sound and echo effects inside the caves, describing them as examples of advanced engineering, scientific thinking and craftsmanship of ancient India, the statement said. Murty also appealed for the Barabar Caves to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, saying this would help
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday asserted that the "successful" Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar last year had led to a significant rise in voter turnout in the assembly polls that followed. Speaking to reporters at Patna airport, the CEC, who is on a two-day tour of the state, said the voting percentage in the 2025 Bihar assembly polls was higher than turnouts witnessed in advanced countries such as the US, the UK and France. "Bihar is the land where Vaishali, the cradle of democracy, is situated. We take pride in the fact that the SIR was conducted here successfully for the first time," Kumar said. The CEC pointed out that following the mammoth exercise, conducted over a three-month period during which around 70 lakh names were knocked off the electoral rolls, a sharp rise was seen in the voter turnout when assembly polls which were held soon afterwards. "As you all know, men and women came out in large numbers to vote and the