Bihar is once again drowning — not just in floodwaters, but in decades of political neglect. Nineteen people have reportedly lost their lives this season, while livestock, crops, homes, and livelihoods have been washed away. The Ganga has breached the danger mark, submerging over nine districts. Roads, schools, and villages are under water. And yet, the state’s political class remains locked in its year-round power tussles, treating floods as an inevitable nuisance rather than a solvable crisis.
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), six river-monitoring stations have crossed the danger mark, and nine others are above the warning level. Buxar, Gandhi Ghat (Patna), Hathidah, and Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur) are already past the red line. In Vaishali, Munger, and Katihar, water levels continue to threaten the safety of thousands.
This is not a sudden disaster. CWC hydrographs show Gandhi Ghat’s water level rose by 50 cm in just three days; Kahalgaon’s by 30 cm; and Kursela (Katihar) by 28 cm. In Patna, 15% of the district is submerged; Bhagalpur is worse at 15.7%. Khagaria has 8.5% of its area underwater, Begusarai 6.4%. Bhojpur’s Jawaniya village lost 50 homes in one sweep. Students in Khagaria are taking boats to school.
The floods are fed not only by heavy rains in Bihar but also by upstream rainfall in Nepal, which regularly swells the Ganga, Kosi, Gandak, and Bagmati. Yet, despite knowing this pattern for decades, the state has no comprehensive flood management plan. The embankments, built as “permanent” solutions, are poorly maintained and often breach, worsening flooding in some areas. Early warning systems exist on paper but fail to reach the most vulnerable communities.
Experts have repeatedly recommended:
- Permanent resettlement plans for families living in low-lying, high-risk zones.
- River dredging and catchment management to improve water flow.
- Cross-border cooperation with Nepal to regulate water release from dams and barrages.
- Urban flood-proofing in cities like Patna.
But successive governments — regardless of party — have treated floods as annual photo-op opportunities rather than humanitarian emergencies. Relief camps, food packets, and token visits replace structural solutions. And once the waters recede, the crisis conveniently disappears from the political agenda.
For millions in Bihar, the monsoon doesn’t bring joy — it brings two months of displacement, disease, and debt. Until the state’s leaders trade political gamesmanship for policy action, this cycle of misery will continue, year after year.
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