Bihar Floods: Nearly Five Million Hit As Torrential Rains Swamp Communities
Nearly five million people have been affected by severe flooding across India’s Bihar state, as days of torrential rainfall push rivers beyond danger levels and leave communities struggling for food, clean water and shelter.
The Bihar Water Resources Department says all seven major rivers in the state have risen above their designated danger marks, triggering widespread flooding across several districts.
The situation is particularly precarious because Bihar lies downstream of neighbouring Nepal, where deadly floods and landslides last month underscored the region’s vulnerability to extreme rainfall and rapidly rising waters.
At least 20 people have reportedly died in flood-related incidents, while vast areas of farmland remain submerged, threatening crops, livestock and the livelihoods of thousands of farming families.
Authorities say emergency operations are underway, with the state government establishing 13 relief camps and deploying nearly 1,800 rescue boats to evacuate stranded residents and deliver assistance to affected communities.
More than 1,000 community kitchens have also been activated to provide food to families cut off by the floodwaters.
But for many residents, the emergency has become a struggle for basic survival.
In Saran district, residents say homes and livelihoods have been swept away, leaving families dependent on emergency supplies for food and safe drinking water.
In Vaishali district, rising waters have forced some families onto rooftops after floodwaters overwhelmed their homes, leaving them without functioning kitchens and with limited access to clean water.
Daily wage earners are facing an additional crisis as the floods disrupt work and exhaust whatever savings families had available.
The Bihar government says its immediate priority is to provide relief to affected households while preparing for reconstruction and recovery once the waters recede.
The central government has also intervened, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi directing a federal team to assess the scale of damage to infrastructure, agriculture and livelihoods.
For millions caught in the disaster, however, the immediate challenge remains survival as floodwaters continue to inundate homes, farmland and communities across Bihar.
With rainfall expected to remain a concern, authorities face the difficult task of evacuating vulnerable populations, maintaining food and water supplies and preventing the humanitarian crisis from deepening.
