Nepal Flash Flood Threat Reaches India: Bihar, UP on High Alert as Gandak Swells

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were placed on high alert after a devastating flash flood in Nepal sent a surge of water through interconnected river systems, raising concerns of flooding in downstream Indian districts. In Bihar, authorities opened all 36 gates of the Gandak Barrage at Valmikinagar in West Champaran, releasing around 1.50 lakh cusecs of water by 11 pm on Wednesday. Officials said the discharge was aimed at managing the rising water level and preventing a more severe accumulation upstream.

The Gandak is known as the Narayani in Nepal and flows into India through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Any sudden increase in water coming downstream from Nepal can therefore raise river levels in low-lying areas, threatening villages, farmland, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

In Bihar, special vigilance has been ordered in West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, besides Sitamarhi and Sheohar. Authorities have kept boats, shelters, evacuation plans and relief supplies ready, while NDRF and SDRF teams are being positioned in vulnerable areas.

Uttar Pradesh is also monitoring the situation closely, particularly areas along the Gandak basin. The immediate risks include inundation of low-lying settlements, crop damage, disruption to roads and bridges and possible displacement if river levels rise sharply. However, no major losses have been reported in Uttar Pradesh so far, and authorities are taking preventive measures.

The impact extends beyond direct flood exposure. Several Indian states have citizens stranded or missing in Nepal. Tamil Nadu has reported 37 missing people and West Bengal 32, while more than 130 Indians were initially reported unaccounted for. For these states, the immediate losses are primarily humanitarian rather than flood-related, involving missing citizens, disrupted travel and emergency evacuation efforts.

The Nepal disaster has killed hundreds and left more than a thousand missing, with roads, bridges and power infrastructure severely damaged. The flooding was linked to the collapse of ice, mud and rock into a river near the Nepal-Tibet border, producing a sudden downstream surge. Bihar officials said the situation remained under close watch, with authorities urging residents to remain alert without panicking as river levels continue to be monitored.