Why flood threat looms over Bihar every year?

Bihar is India's most flood-prone state, with 76% population in the North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation. Every year people are killed and every year property worth thousands of crores of rupees gets washed away. But why this flood comes and who is responsible for it, let's take a look at the situation.

Patna: Flood is considered more of a natural calamity than a man-made disaster. For the last four decades, Bihar has been facing flood crisis every year. Due to this, crores of rupees are lost every year, millions of people are becoming homeless and thousands die.

Every year flood submerges more than two-thirds of the state. As per the statistics, out of 94.16 lakh hectare in Bihar, 68.80 lakh hectare area remains vulnerable during floods. 80 per cent of the population of North Bihar remains vulnerable to floods and now a large area of South Bihar has started drowning due to the floods.

Why flood threat looms over Bihar?

In several parts of North Bihar, waterlogging had thrown normal life out of gear and it is recorded in the government's records that 28 of the 38 districts of the state get flooded.

Several low-lying districts such as Western Champaran, East Champaran, Shivhar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Madhepura, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Samastipur, Khagaria and Katihar gets flood every year.

In Bihar, it can also be a political disaster and tragedy. In the post-Congress Bihar, two major regime changes were accentuated by floods.

Several people have died in rain-flood related incidents and people have also blamed the lacking in the vitality of the Nitish Kumar government over the years for the floods in Bihar.

However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has blamed nature - excessive rain - for the flood fury and not the lack of preparedness of the government or "poor response" from the state agencies. The CM has also said that the current of the Ganga river, which has been interrupted due to many activities, brings the floods to Bihar.

There are more rivers in Bihar than in any other state. The work that should have been done to maintain the rivers hardly takes place. In recent times, the matter arose regarding avidity but when work was needed, the work was not done. Due to a lack of proper management of water and government apathy, Kosi tragedy occurred in the year 2008 which was declared a National disaster.

Chances of Bihar flooding this year as well

Every year, with the knock of the monsoon season, the people of Bihar are stressed. Most of the monsoon rains occur in June, July, August, and September. Anand Shankar, a scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department, Patna, said that this time there is a possibility of rain in Bihar between 895 millimetres to 1050 millimetres. This means that even this time the people of Bihar will have to be fully prepared to withstand the floods.

People wait for relief

Flood is a destiny for Bihar, which will change only after the implementation of big policies. Meanwhile, the people of many flood-affected villages of Bihar are worried that if the deluge comes, their village should not get swept away in case of breach of the embankment. Bihar is waiting for relief from this suffering. The question is when will Bihar recover from sinking in floods and who will help with that.

Notably, as per geographical data, Bihar lies in the foot of Himalayas i.e, south of Nepal and it serves as lowland for the Himalayan rivers like Koshi, Gandhak, Burhi Gandaki, Bagmati, Mahananda and various seasonal rivers which flow during Monsoon. Whenever there is heavy rainfall in Nepal the water from these rivers causes flood and havoc.