As an earthquake in Tibet triggers floods in Nepal, the bordering state of Bihar has been put on high alert, with authorities evacuating thousands and keeping its disaster response force on standby. The earthquake caused an avalanche and flash floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River, which surged on Wednesday morning. Officials in Bihar anticipate a similar rise in the Gandak River, into which the Bhotekoshi feeds.
Flood Projections
Officials in Bihar project a massive inflow of around 250,000 cusecs through the Gandak Barrage, a sharp jump from its current discharge rate of 80,000 cusecs. All 36 gates of the Gandak Barrage were opened at Valmikinagar as a precaution.
““A technical team led by a superintending engineer has also been sent to the barrage from the department headquarters to monitor the situation,” an official stated.
Warning messages have been issued to all districts located in the Gandak River basin. Departmental officials have been directed to remain on continuous alert and monitoring, while arrangements have been strengthened for the storage of flood-response materials and continuous inspection of embankments.
Current Water Levels
In Nepal, the Gandak River — called Narayani there — was at 4.77 metres at the Devghat gauge. The danger level at the site is 9 metres, while the warning level is 7.30 metres. Officials noted that once the water level rises at Devghat, it could take about 3.5 hours for the increased flow to reach the Gandak Barrage.
The floods could affect districts such as West Champaran (Bettiah), East Champaran (Motihari), Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur, and Vaishali. Sitamarhi and Sheohar are also being treated as sensitive districts. Around 5,000 people were moved from the riverine area of West Champaran.
