Bihar flood: High alert issued! Schools shut, overflowing rivers and more

Bihar flood: Following the release of water from Valmikinagar and Birpur barrages on Saturday, the Bihar government sounded an alert for floods, a senior official informed PTI. As many as 13.5 lakh people in 13 districts are severely affected by the flood water.
Rivers have been overflowing in north and central Bihar following heavy showers in the catchment area over the last three days. The authorities have issued a high alert after several areas that were inundated as can be seen in the visuals.
The district administration and Water Resources Department (WRD) have called in emergency control measures and are monitoring embankments round the clock. As a preventive measure, vehicular movement has been halted near Kosi barrage. Rescue team members include three superintending engineers, 17 executive engineers, 25 assistant engineers and 45 junior engineers of the WRD.
According to PTI report, the rivers flowing above danger mark include Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Kamla Balan and Mahananda and Ganga that have caused flood-like situation in 31 blocks of eight districts of North Bihar, reported Live Hindustan. In East Champaran, closure of all schools was announced till September 29 amid possibility of heavy rains.
Principal Secretary of the state Water Resources Department Santosh Kumar Mall pointed out that a total of 5.79 lakh cusecs of water was released from Birpur Barrage on Kosi River till 7:00 PM on Saturday. This marks the highest water discharged from this barrage in 56 years since 1969.
Compounding the situation, 5.38 lakh cusecs of water was released from Valmikinagar Barrage till 7:00 PM on Saturday. This marks the highest water discharged from this barrage in 21 years since 2004.
The state Water Resources Department (WRD) in a statement sais, “Due to heavy rains in Nepal, water discharge in rivers like Gandak, Koshi, Mahananda etc. has increased significantly on Saturday.”
Santosh Kumar Mall suggested that incessant rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal has led to rivers touching or flowing above the danger level at several places in the bordering districts. According to officials, the excess river water inundated low-lying areas, including West and East Champaran, Gopalganj, Araria, Supaul, Katihar, Purnea, among several other districts.
Nepal reportedly released 5.40 lakh cusecs of water in Gandak barrage on Saturday till 7:00 PM. At the same time 4.99 lakh cusecs of water in was released in Kosi barrage. According to AIRN report, all the 56 sluice gates of the Kosi barrage in Supaul have been opened to ease the pressure.
Visuals from Bihar show water flooding railway tracks in Araria district following heavy rains affecting train operations.