The Bihar government on Monday sounded an alert in view of more than four lakh cusecs of water from the Kosi barrage following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal.

State water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha said the discharge at Birpur in Supaul district on Sunday night was 4.62 lakh cusecs, the highest for a day in nearly three decades.

“The last time we saw a greater discharge was in 1989 when it was 4.72 lakh cusecs. As is always the case in the Kosi belt, this has been due to torrential rain in the catchment areas of Nepal,” he told reporters.

Water had begun to gush through the Supaul district, where the discharge was recorded at Birganj around 2am. Inundation of land tracts was expected in adjoining Saharsa and Khagaria by Tuesday, Jha said.

“The department’s officials and engineers are on the alert and embankments are being patrolled round the clock. People can also reach out to us through our call center by dialing the toll free number,” the minister said.

People living in low-lying areas and close to embankments were being relocated to safer places, he said and dispelled fears of a repeat of 2008 when floods in the Kosi region, caused by a change in the course of the river. It had claimed nearly 500 lives and affected close to three million people.

The minister, however, added, “The discharge recorded at the barrage now is far greater than what it was in 2008. Though the situation is not similar and there is also a greater level of preparedness.”

Meanwhile, Supaul district magistrate Kaushal Kumar said: “We are bracing for
flash floods which may submerge many low-lying areas. People are being evacuated from such places.

“We are in touch with Mukhiyas of all the panchayats for the purpose.”

“Thankfully, the rainfall has receded in Nepal which means that the volume discharge will go down and the situation will not worsen to an alarming degree. Embankments, so far, are safe and may not suffer major damage. Nonetheless, we are making all efforts to minimize the devastation,” he said.

Saharsa district magistrate Vaibhav Chaudhary said, “We expect nearly 300 villages to be affected in the district. Water discharge is likely to recede by tomorrow though it may still remain around 3.7 lakh cusecs We are making preparations accordingly.”