As flash floods hit in Nepal, authorities in UP and Bihar have stepped up preparations to deal with the situation that could arise due to the heavy flow of water downstream.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary met officials over flood alert Home Minister Amit Shah has also spoken to the Bihar Chief Minister on the state’s preparedness.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that a high-level committee has been constituted to continuously monitor the developing situation.
“The Health Department is alert. We are monitoring the situation closely. Issuing an advisory for residents, the administration urged people to remain alert without creating panic and to strictly follow official instructions. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath posted that state’s Maharajganj and Kushinagar have been put on alert.
Meetings are being held so that assistance can be provided as quickly as possible if required. Earlier reporting noted: Citing an advisory from India’s Central Water Commission (CWC), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said the deluge was triggered upstream in Nepal’s mountainous Rasuwa district due to a suspected glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). According to an analysis by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in February 2025, at least 1,015 flood events were reported in the higher reaches of the Himalayan region since 1950 across Nepal, India and China.
Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar also said that the government is monitoring the situation. “Situation is being monitored in Bihar due to the flash flood situation in the upper catchment area of the Gandak River in Nepal and the likelihood of a sudden surge in water flow,” an official statement issued by the Disaster Management Department stated. “In view of the rising water levels in the Gandak and Narayani rivers and the possibility of flooding in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts due to its impact, instructions have been issued to the local administration to remain fully vigilant and ensure necessary preparations,” the CM posted on X. In a statement, NDRF said districts in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh near the India–Nepal border along the Gandak river have been advised to remain alert and closely monitor the situation.
Earlier reporting noted: Flash floods in Himalayan rivers, triggered by factors such as earthquakes or GLOFs, are not uncommon. Earlier reporting noted: In Bihar, the government has ordered the evacuation of people living in low-lying areas in five districts — West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Sapaul and Muzaffarpur — as thousands of cusecs of additional water are expected to flow.
