Water levels subside in Bihar rivers, reducing flood risks a day after Nepal tragedy

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A view of the partially submerged houses in flood water following the flash floods of Gandak River in Nepal, causing the overflow of Ganga River at LCT Ghat, in Patna on August 27, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI

A day after a flash flood killed hundreds in Nepal and threatened to overflow into neighboring Bihar, the risk of flooding in the Gandak, Ganga, and other tributary rivers subsided significantly on Thursday. However, debris and cattle carcasses were seen in the Gandak, which is called the Narayani river on the Nepal side of the border.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, accompanied by top government officials, conducted an aerial survey of the Valmikingar barrage areas of West Champaran district along the Indo-Nepal border, which had faced an imminent threat till Thursday (August 27, 2026) afternoon.

“It is God’s grace that we are safe. The way disaster had struck Nepal is a matter of concern. The Prime Minister and Union Home Minister were continuously keeping a close watch on Bihar,” Mr. Choudhary told journalists. “The situation is gradually becoming normal… The discharge at the barrage was around 1 lakh cusecs today. The danger is subsiding now,” he added.

Fearing a flash flood in the Gandak, all 36 gates of the Valmikinagar barrage had been opened on Wednesday (August 26, 2026). By nightfall, the flow of water there had shot up by 20,000 cusecs, prompting senior Water Resources Department (WRD) engineers and district officials to prepare for a further deterioration of the situation. The barrage also started witnessing three-metre-high waves, and the water gush peaked at 1.5 lakh cusecs on Thursday afternoon. It then “started decreasing”, one of the senior engineers confirmed.

The rise in water discharge at the barrage was expected to increase to 2.5 lakh cusecs. One cusec, or cubic feet per second, amounts to 28.32 litres of water flowing past any particular point within one second.

In the border areas of northern Bihar, residents stayed glued to their mobile phones on Wednesday night, awaiting any updates on the possible flood threat in their areas. WRD engineers and district officials also kept vigil at rivers and embankments, alerting people through microphones, and only heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday when the incoming gush of flood waters decreased continuously.

Water levels also receded in the Ganga river at some places in Patna on Thursday (August 27), providing relief to residents of Patna, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, and Begusarai districts, which have also been reeling from floods for the last few days. “However, the State WRD department has been keeping continuous vigil on the situation and is all alert in view of the flood security,” a government statement said on Thursday.

The CM’s aerial survey, conducted along with Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary, covered the Valmikinagar, Bagaha and Bettiah areas of West Champaran.