Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary reviews flood situation, orders immediate damage report

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has directed state departments to submit an immediate preliminary report detailing the damage caused by heavy flooding across the state, aiming to accelerate rehabilitation and infrastructure repairs.

At a high-level review meeting held at Lok Sevak Awas, Choudhary instructed the Disaster Management Department to coordinate across all relevant agencies to assess both structural losses and the financial expenditure required for restoration. He also announced that ex-gratia compensation for families hit by the second phase of flooding would be transferred on 12 October 2026.

Water Resources Department Secretary Dr Chandrashekhar Singh told officials that the deluge struck Bihar in two distinct waves. The first saw the Ganga, Son, Ghaghara, Kosi, and Punpun breach their previous record peak water levels. In the second phase, relentless rainfall pushed the Gandak River to historic peaks at four separate points, causing embankment breaches at six locations across West Champaran, Gopalganj, and Saran districts.

Choudhary attributed the scale of the disaster to unprecedented inflows through the Ganga, Gandak, and Son, pointing to heavy silt build-up in riverbeds as a compounding cause. He noted that Bihar was the first state in the country to devise a formal silt management policy and urged sustained monitoring of water levels as rivers recede.

Relief and rescue operations

Santosh Kumar Mall, Principal Secretary of the Disaster Management Department, briefed the meeting on ground operations, noting that authorities are now focusing on post-drainage risks such as sanitation, public health, and connectivity.

In regions where road access collapsed completely, state authorities coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence to mount aerial relief. Indian Air Force helicopters flew 15 sorties into marooned pockets of Saran district, dropping more than 28 tonnes of food provisions, including 5,600 dry ration kits.

The air missions were conducted by IAF personnel operating out of bases in Gorakhpur and Bagdogra under the leadership of Group Captain Anuj Gupta and Wing Commander Vishal Khatri, alongside Squadron Leader Rohit Dadarwal, Flight Lieutenant Kunal Kalamkar, and Flight Lieutenant Rathore Bharat Singh.

The review was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Disaster Management Minister Ratnesh Sada, Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, and BJP National President Nitin Nabin.