- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sun, 06 Sep 2026 10:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Ganga breached HFL at Patna's Gandhi Ghat.
- Five downstream districts issued high alert by government.
- Water levels expected to rise further in coming days.
The Ganga River in Bihar has breached the Highest Flood Level (HFL) at Patna's Gandhi Ghat after a sharp rise in water levels, prompting the Bihar government to issue instructions for five downstream districts.
The flood waters are expected to rise further in the coming three days. At 6 AM on Sunday, the water level at Gandhi Ghat was recorded at 50.57 metres, 0.05 metres above HFL.
The previous HFL was 50.52 metres, recorded on August 21. More than 22 lakh people across 12 districts have been affected in the state. The authorities have issued an alert for five downstream districts - Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar.
As per the Bihar Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the pressure of the water flow is likely to shift downstream over the next one to three days, impacting Hathidah and subsequent downstream gauge stations, where water levels may also surpass previous HFL marks.
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The authorities have accordingly directed the concerned officials and field staff to remain on high alert and continuously monitor the rising water levels as the situation remains evolving.
Additionally, monitoring of embankments, vulnerable sites and low-lying areas has been instructed. The directions to the officials include implementation of precautionary measures in advance as per requirements.
The flood-control resources and machinery is asked to be kept readied at all times.
Advice for citizens
The government has also advised the citizens in the affected areas to avoid venturing near and into the river unnecessarily and remain alert and safe. The residents in the vulnerable areas have been advised to move to safer locations.
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC) data recorded on September 6 at 10 am, the Ganga's water level at Rajghat Varanasi stood at 69.80 metres. The warning level is 70.262 metres, while the danger level is 71.262 metres. The highest flood level (HFL) is 73.901 metres. The water level was showing a falling trend at 1 cm per hour.
(With ANI Inputs)