Bihar braces for rain on Raksha Bandhan as orange alert covers 20 districts

Bihar is set for a rain-soaked Raksha Bandhan on Friday, with the Meteorological Department forecasting rainfall across all 38 districts and issuing an orange alert for 20 districts, including the state capital Patna.

The remaining 18 districts have been placed under a yellow alert as the state braces for another spell of unsettled weather. Heavy rain is likely at isolated locations, particularly across North Bihar, while gusty winds may accompany the showers.

Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and follow safety advisories as weather conditions could turn adverse in some areas.

The districts under the orange alert include Patna, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Gaya, Nawada, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Begusarai, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali.

Temperatures are expected to hover between 28 and 34 degrees Celsius, with humidity around 93 per cent, adding to the sultry conditions across the state.

The Disaster Management Department has also advised people to stay alert and adjust their activities according to local weather conditions.

Despite Friday's widespread rain forecast, Bihar's monsoon season has so far remained below normal. A senior Met official in Patna said the state has largely missed the usual three-to-four-day cycles of sustained rainfall, with only scattered showers breaking the dry spell and contributing to unusually high temperatures.

The weather outlook offers little comfort to the farming community, with rainfall activity potentially remaining below normal in September — a prospect that could cast a shadow over paddy cultivation.

Farmers have already been grappling with uneven rainfall. Against Bihar's target of 37.96 lakh hectares, paddy has been planted over around 36.85 lakh hectares, or nearly 97 per cent of the target.

Around a dozen districts recorded rainfall deficits of about 42 per cent between 1 June and 27 August, making irrigation increasingly crucial for farmers struggling to protect their standing paddy crop.

In response to the mounting agricultural pressure, the Agriculture Department began accepting applications for diesel subsidies from 17 August.

Except in Gaya, Jamui and Aurangabad, more than 90 per cent of the targeted paddy acreage has been covered across the state. In Kishanganj and Gopalganj, sowing has even surpassed the official target, reaching 101 per cent.

Under the diesel subsidy scheme, farmers are eligible to receive Rs 750 per acre, calculated at Rs 75 per litre, for irrigation using diesel-powered pump sets.

As Bihar prepares to celebrate Raksha Bandhan under darkening skies, the rain brings a measure of relief to parched fields — even as the larger monsoon deficit continues to weigh heavily on the state's farmers.

With IANS inputs