Embankment breach along swollen Gandak in Bihar poses flood risk

• Gandak embankment breaches near Khairtwa in West Champaran, with floodwaters entering agricultural fields and threatening low-lying areas of three villages

• River levels remain above flood thresholds, with the Gandak at Bagaha recorded at 91.02 metres; flooding has also affected roads and settlements around Bagaha and Valmikinagar

• WRD teams begin repair work as the district administration monitors the situation and takes precautionary measures to protect vulnerable areas

A section of the Champaran embankment along the swollen Gandak river breached near Khairtwa village in Bihar’s West Champaran district on Monday night, raising concerns of flooding in low-lying areas and disrupting connectivity in parts of Bagaha.

The breach developed around chainage 4 km under Bagaha-1 block after the Gandak rose above its previous highest flood level of 90.90 metres. The Water Resources Department (WRD) said the breach was initially assessed at around 10 metres, with water flowing into agricultural fields and expected to re-enter the river near chainage 9.5 km.

Agastiya, Khairtwa and Chandrapur are among the areas identified as vulnerable to flooding. Reports on Monday night also indicated that the breach had widened considerably, with some local reports putting the damaged stretch at around 30 metres or more.

The latest Bihar flood monitoring data shows the Gandak at Bagaha above its highest flood level, while water levels at several other Gandak monitoring stations remain above danger levels. At Bagaha, the river was recorded at 91.02 metres, above the 90.30-metre HFL listed by the state monitoring system.

The National Highway 727, around 3 km from the breach site, was not initially expected to face major impact as the river discharge in the area was falling. However, flooding has affected roads and settlements elsewhere in the region, with reports of water entering Bagaha and disrupting routes towards Valmikinagar.

A Water Resources Department team has reached the site and begun repair and restoration work, while the West Champaran district administration is monitoring the situation and taking precautionary measures.

The flooding comes amid heavy water flow in the Gandak system, with several monitoring stations in Bihar reporting levels above danger marks. Authorities are continuing to monitor the river and vulnerable areas as the situation develops.

With PTI inputs