State on alert as Kosi, Gandak rivers show signs of swelling
Patna: With water levels already fluctuating in key rivers and forecasts warning of heavy rain upstream in Nepal, Bihar is on alert for potential flood-like conditions in the Kosi and Gandak basins starting Friday.
Officials have warned that the situation could worsen quickly, especially as the region heads into a wetter-than-average monsoon season.
On Thursday afternoon, water discharge through the Birpur barrage on the Kosi stood at 78,660 cusecs, a drop from 87,140 cusecs on Wednesday and 1.04 lakh cusecs on Tuesday, indicating unstable flow patterns. The Gandak, too, has seen considerable variation. While its discharge was recorded at 95,000 cusecs on Tuesday, it has since held steady at 47,000 cusecs for two consecutive days.
The state water resources department (WRD) flood bulletin has flagged concern, pointing to moderate to heavy rainfall forecast in the catchment areas of both rivers in Nepal over the next 48 hours. The Gandak basin is expected to receive rainfall ranging from 17.20mm to 57.32mm. Though other Nepal-fed rivers such as the Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Adhwara, Kamla and Mahananda are forecast to receive only light rain, they will remain under observation.
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Compounding the threat is a broader monsoon outlook. Nepal's meteorological department has predicted above-average rainfall this season while the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast higher-than-normal rain across India, including Bihar. Within the state, light to moderate showers are expected over Friday and Saturday, which may contribute to rising river levels.
Earlier this week, unexpected rain in Jharkhand and parts of Bihar triggered flash floods in the Jehanabad and Nalanda districts. Swollen Lokain and Bhutahi rivers breached several zamindari bunds in Nalanda. In response to the damage and failure of embankment monitoring, state WRD minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary suspended the executive engineer of Ekangarsarai and six junior engineers. "Negligence of work by engineers and those responsible for embankment vigilance will not be tolerated," he said.
The WRD has since repaired the breaches and reinforced vulnerable points. However, with monsoon momentum picking up and upstream rainfall imminent, the next 48 hours will be crucial for Bihar's flood management efforts.
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