Patna/Kathmandu, Oct 8:
Severe monsoon rains have unleashed widespread devastation across eastern India and neighboring Nepal, leading to floods and landslides that have claimed more than 70 lives and displaced thousands.
According to disaster management authorities, heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours has caused rivers including the Gandak, Kosi, and Bagmati to overflow their banks, submerging large areas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of West Bengal. In Nepal, the eastern districts of Jhapa and Morang have been hit the hardest, with houses swept away and key highways cut off due to landslides.
🔎 Massive Rescue Operations Underway
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, and local state rescue teams have been deployed across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, evacuating families stranded in low-lying villages. Helicopters have been pressed into service to drop food packets and relief material.
In Nepal, the government has declared a state of emergency in several districts, with the Nepalese Army leading rescue missions. Officials say that the actual death toll may rise as many remote villages remain cut off.
📉 Infrastructure Damage and Displacement
- Roads, bridges, and railway tracks have been severely damaged, disrupting transport and communication.
- Power outages and waterlogging have hit Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga, with thousands of families shifted to temporary relief camps.
- In Nepal, schools and businesses have been closed indefinitely in the affected districts.
⚠️ Warnings and Weather Outlook
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh for the next 48 hours. Authorities have warned residents living near riverbanks to move to higher ground immediately.
Experts have linked the increasing frequency of such floods to climate change and unplanned urban development, warning that without long-term measures, the impact of monsoon disasters will continue to grow.
🗣️ Government Response
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, assuring full central support. Nepal’s Prime Minister also called for urgent international assistance to deal with the crisis.
Relief agencies such as the Red Cross have already started mobilizing supplies, and local NGOs are distributing food, medicine, and clothes in flood-hit areas.