Gandak remains above the highest flood level at several locations; IAF help sought

The Gandak continued to flow above its previous highest flood level (HFL) at several locations in Bihar on Thursday, putting embankments under severe pressure after heavy rainfall in Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, even as the state government sought assistance from the Indian Air Force for relief and rescue operations.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who inspected the rising Ganga in Patna, said the next 48 hours would be crucial and directed officials to maintain round-the-clock surveillance of vulnerable areas. While the Gandak had begun receding, the Water Resources Department (WRD) said hydraulic pressure was expected to persist because the river remained above its earlier record levels.

Gandak above historic high

At Dumariaghat in Gopalganj district, the Gandak remained around 22 cm above its previous all-time HFL for nearly 36 hours. At Revaghat in Saran and Lalganj in Vaishali, it remained around 22 cm above the previous HFL for nearly 21 hours.

The sustained rise has placed extreme pressure on embankments on both sides of the river. The WRD said intensive flood-fighting operations and continuous monitoring were underway at vulnerable locations.

The Gandak had recorded its highest discharge of 2026 at Valmikinagar on September 28, when the flow touched 5,43,500 cusecs. By 8 am Thursday, discharge at Valmikinagar had declined substantially to 95,340 cusecs from 99,505 cusecs at 8 pm Wednesday.

The decline in discharge has provided some relief, but officials cautioned that downstream river levels and pressure on embankments would take time to ease.

Two embankments breached

The pressure has already resulted in breaches at two locations. A breach occurred in the right embankment in Panapur block of Saran district on Wednesday night, while a ring embankment of the Tirhut Main Embankment was breached in Sahebganj block of Muzaffarpur district.

The WRD said other vulnerable points remained safe and under control, though seepage and piping had been detected at several locations. Engineers and flood-fighting teams have been deployed to monitor and reinforce sensitive stretches.

The challenge has been compounded by the Ganga remaining above the danger level. High water in the Ganga is creating backflow pressure in the Gandak, slowing the drainage of floodwater and increasing stress on the river system.

Ganga rises in Patna

The Ganga continued to rise at Digha, Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna district as well as at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur.

At Gandhi Ghat, the river stood at 49.67 metres, 1.07 metres above the danger mark. At Hathidah, it was at 42.49 metres, 0.73 metres above the danger level.

The Chief Minister inspected the river level from J P Ganga Path in Patna and directed officials to remain alert and ensure the safety of people living in vulnerable and low-lying areas.

Choudhary said Bihar had witnessed record water levels in the Ganga, Gandak and Sone this year despite the state receiving 32% less rainfall than normal. Much of the pressure on Bihar's river system has resulted from heavy rainfall and high inflows from upstream catchments.

Other rivers also rising

The flood threat is not confined to the Gandak and Ganga. Water levels in the Bagmati, Burhi Gandak and Ghagra were also rising at several monitoring stations.

At Benibad, the Bagmati reached 50.03 metres, or 1.35 metres above the danger mark. The river was, however, receding at Kataunjha.

The Burhi Gandak was rising at Khagaria, where it stood at 36.96 metres, 0.38 metres above the danger level.

Discharges from some of Bihar's other major rivers showed a declining trend. The Kosi discharge at Birpur dropped to 46,743 cusecs from 67,564 cusecs between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, while discharge from the Sone at Indrapuri Barrage declined to 1,02,100 cusecs from 1,14,000 cusecs.

The Kosi had recorded its 2026 peak discharge of 3,13,595 cusecs at Birpur on September 26.

IAF helicopters sought

With floodwaters affecting low-lying areas, the Bihar government has approached the Indian Air Force for assistance in delivering relief and supporting rescue operations.

Two IAF helicopters are expected to be used to air-drop essential supplies in areas difficult to reach by road or boat.

Choudhary inspected a dry ration packaging centre at Shri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna, where relief packets were being prepared for distribution. The packets contain flattened rice, gram, sattu, sugar, spices, oral rehydration salts, matches, candles and other essential supplies.

The Chief Minister reviewed the quality and contents of the packets and instructed officials to ensure timely distribution without any laxity.

Low-lying areas affected

Rising water levels have affected low-lying areas across several districts, including Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj and Supaul.

The latest spell comes after Bihar faced significant flooding earlier in September, when overflowing rivers affected large parts of the state. The renewed rise in the Gandak following heavy upstream rainfall has again put riverine settlements and embankments under stress.

Choudhary said the government was prepared to deal with the situation and relief and rescue operations were underway. For the WRD, however, the immediate concern remains the prolonged hydraulic pressure on the Gandak embankments.

Even with upstream discharge declining, officials expect the river system to take time to stabilise. The next 48 hours will therefore remain critical, with engineers, district administrations and disaster-response teams maintaining continuous watch over embankments and settlements along the swollen rivers.