The annual monsoon season has once again brought large parts of India to a standstill, with relentless downpours triggering floods across multiple states. Among the worst-affected regions is Bihar, where torrential rains have so far impacted an estimated 17 lakh people across 10 districts. The swelling of major rivers, combined with continuous rainfall, has caused widespread inundation and left thousands facing severe disruptions to their daily lives.
In Bihar, heavy rainfall has lashed districts such as Bhojpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Saran, Munger, Khagaria, Supaul, and Begusarai, pushing rivers and streams beyond their carrying capacity. Bhagalpur district is among the worst hit, with six administrative blocks — Kursela, Barari, Manihari, Amdabad, Mansahi, and Pranpur — grappling with floodwaters. Reports indicate that nearly five lakh residents here are now living with water encroaching on their homes and streets.
The water level at Bhagalpur station reached 34.86 metres on August 13, equalling the high flood mark and surpassing the official danger level of 33.68 metres. Nearby monitoring points such as Kahalgaon and Ekchari have also been flagged as critical by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
India’s wider flood map paints an equally grim picture. Data from the CWC, combined with satellite imagery analysed by India Today’s OSINT team, reveals that several major rivers are currently running above danger levels. These include the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, the Ghagra in Bihar, the Ichamati in West Bengal, and the Brahmaputra in Assam. In West Bengal, the Ichamati River has breached danger levels at two separate points, threatening surrounding settlements.
High-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery has been instrumental in creating detailed flood maps for Bihar. The data shows the Ganga near Bhagalpur spilling over its banks into Akbarnagar, Tilakpur, and Belthu, inundating a stretch of nearly 19 kilometres and breaching protective embankments.
Other rivers are also in distress. Flood mapping in the Chandan River basin of Bihar and the Ichagarh region of Jharkhand indicates vast swathes of land now lying underwater. In the Sahibganj district of Jharkhand, around 20,000 people across five blocks have been affected after the Ganga crossed the danger threshold, submerging homes and farmland. Since June 17, Jharkhand has recorded 40% above-normal rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Elsewhere in the country, the Teesta in Sikkim and West Bengal, the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar’s Chandan River continue to flow at high or dangerous levels. The IMD has issued red alerts for Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya, warning of extremely heavy rainfall, while orange alerts are in place for Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh, signalling the likelihood of further flooding and related hazards.
The situation remains fluid, with water levels and weather patterns under close observation. Officials warn that continued rainfall could exacerbate flooding in already affected regions, compounding the humanitarian and economic toll of this year’s monsoon.
