Bihar State PCS

• 09 Jul 2024

Bihar Bridge Collapse Over Gandaki River

Why in News?

Recently, a 15-year-old bridge over the Gandaki River collapsed in Bihar's Saran district marking the third bridge collapse incident in the district within 24 hours.

Key Points

• According to the sources, at least 12 bridges have collapsed across Bihar in the past 17 days. No casualties have been reported yet.

River Gandak 

• About:
  • The river Gandak, is also known as the Gandaki and Narayani River in Nepal. It is a significant river that flows through the northern part of India and Nepal.
  • Valmiki National Park and Tiger Reserve in Bihar is located on the banks of this river.
• Source:
  • The river Gandak originates at an altitude of 7620 m above main sea level in the north of Dhaulagiri in Tibet near Nepal border. Originating from the Himalayas, the river stretches over a length of 630 kilometers, with 445 kilometers running through India and 185 kilometers in Nepal.
• Drainage Basin:
  • The Gandak River has a total drainage basin area of 29,705 square kilometers.
  • The river flows through the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and joins the Ganges near Patna just downstream of Hajipur.
• Tributaries:
  • The major tributaries of the Gandak River include the Mayangadi, Bari, Trisuli, Panchand, Sarhad, Budhi Gandak.