Bihar Weather Today: Sudden Flash Flood Threat In 13 Districts As IMD Predicts Heavy Rainfall

Bihar Weather Today: IMD has issued warning of heavy rainfall in several parts of Bihar over next 24 hrs, with flash flood risk in 13 districts. Flood-like conditions already reported in 12 districts.

A September 19 photo of partially submerged premises of Alakhnath Temple following a rise in the water level of Ganga river, at Barh in Patna district of Bihar.

Source : PTI

Bihar Weather Today: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy rainfall in several parts of Bihar over the next 24 hours, with a sudden threat of low to moderate “flash flood risk” looming in 13 districts, news agency PTI reported. According to the IMD's latest bulletin on Friday, West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Jahanabad, Madhubani, and Bhojpur are expected to be severely impacted by heavy rains.

The IMD has predicted that the rainfall in these regions could lead to low to moderate-intensity floods within the next 24 hours. In response to this warning, the Bihar Disaster Management Department (DMD) has urged the administrations of the affected districts to remain on high alert and take all necessary precautions to mitigate the impact.

A formal letter has been issued to the district magistrates (DMs) of the 13 districts, instructing them to prepare for potential flooding.

Flood-Like Conditions In Several Bihar Districts

Flood-like conditions have already been reported across 376 panchayats in 12 districts along the banks of the Ganga River, affecting approximately 13.56 lakh people. With rising water levels, authorities have evacuated many residents from low-lying areas and relocated them to flood relief camps. The districts currently affected include Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, and Katihar. These areas have seen a sharp increase in water levels, prompting emergency measures to protect lives and property.

In addition to the general heavy rain warning, five districts — West Champaran, East Champaran, Araria, Kishanganj, and Gopalganj — have been placed under a special alert for extremely heavy rainfall. These areas are expected to witness intense downpours at isolated locations, further compounding the flood risk.

Bihar has experienced intermittent rainfall over the past few days, worsening the situation in many districts. On September 27, the DMD had already flagged the possibility of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across 13 districts, with Saturday, September 28, expected to be particularly challenging.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Water Resources Department (WRD) also issued a flood alert for regions along the Kosi and Gandak rivers, which have swollen due to continuous rainfall over the last two to three days. The water levels of several rivers across the state have been rising steadily.

"Incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers touching or flowing above the danger level at several places in the bordering districts," a WRD bulletin said Thursday, according to the PTI report. 

In light of the serious situation, the authorities planned to open some of the gates at the Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak river during the night of September 27-28, releasing 6 lakh cusecs of water — a significant release compared to recent years.

Additionally, around noon on September 28, 6.81 lakh cusecs of water will be released from the Kosi Birpur barrage, further exacerbating the flood threat, the bulletin added.