Flood in Bihar | 23 Sep 2024

Why in News?  

Recently, Bihar has been severely affected by floods, with 12 districts submerged and over 12 lakh people impacted.

Key Points  

  • Flood Situation: 
    • Heavy rainfall in Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand has led to rising water levels in the rivers of North and South Bihar. 
    • The situation has caused widespread flooding in Bihar, particularly along rivers like the Ganga. 
  • Affected Areas: 
    • 12 districts are affected, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Patna, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, and Katihar. 
    • A total of 12.67 lakh people in low-lying areas have been impacted by rising water levels. 
    • Affected trains include Patna-Dumka Express, Saraigarh Deoghar Special, Jamalpur-Kiul Memu Special, and Bhagalpur-Danapur Intercity Express. 
    • The Bihar Disaster Management Department (DMD) reported that 361 panchayats have been affected. 

Floods

  • About: 
    • Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur when an overflow of water submerges land that is usually dry. 
    • Between 1998-2017, 2 Billion people have been affected worldwide due to floods.  
  • Causes:  
    • These are often caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal areas. 
  • Types of Floods:  
    • Flash Floods: These are caused by rapid and excessive rainfall that raises water heights quickly, and rivers, streams, channels or roads may be overtaken. 
    • River Floods: These are caused when consistent rain or snow melt forces a river to exceed capacity.  
    • Coastal Floods: These are caused by storm surges associated with tropical cyclones and tsunami.