Bihar floods: Gandak embankments breach in Gopalganj, Saran as heavy discharge strains flood defences
Embankments along the Gandak River breached at two locations in Bihar’s Gopalganj and Saran districts on Wednesday as heavy water discharge put increasing pressure on flood-control structures, officials said.
In Gopalganj’s Baikunthpur block, a roughly six-metre section of the Bandhauli-Sheetalpur-Faizullahpur Zamindari Bund near Sheetalpur village gave way early Wednesday. Authorities warned that floodwater could enter low-lying areas of Parsauni, Sheetalpur and Pakhan and disrupt road connectivity.
In Saran, around eight metres of the right Saran embankment at Haijalpur village in Maker block subsided between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. A flood-control gate was also damaged, allowing water to spread towards low-lying areas of Haijalpur, Parmanand Chhapra and Naukraha.
The situation has been compounded by high water levels in the Gandak and Ganga. Bihar’s Water Resources Department said seepage and piping were being reported at several points along embankments, with teams carrying out round-the-clock flood-fighting operations.
The Gandak discharge at Valmikinagar Barrage fell from 1.394 lakh cusecs at 4 am to 1.315 lakh cusecs at 7 am on Wednesday. Kosi discharge at Birpur remained around 1.041 lakh cusecs, while Sone discharge at Indrapuri fell sharply from 1.59 lakh to 1.20 lakh cusecs during the same period.
The high Gandak discharge follows heavy rainfall in Nepal’s catchment areas. The Valmikinagar Barrage had recorded a peak discharge of about 5.43 lakh cusecs on Tuesday, with flows remaining above 4 lakh cusecs for an extended period.
Fresh update: Bihar’s flood monitoring system showed the Gandak at Dumariaghat in Gopalganj still above the highest flood level on Tuesday night and rising, while the river at Bagaha was falling. Officials have advised residents in vulnerable low-lying areas to remain alert and move to safer locations if required.
Earlier, two stretches of the Champaran embankment in Bagaha-1 and Bairia had also been damaged. The continuing high flow has put West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali on heightened alert.
with inputs from PTI
