Five dead as Bihar floods affect more than 3.4 million, Ganga exceeds previous highest levels
Five people have drowned in flood-affected parts of Patna district as widespread flooding continues across Bihar, where more than 3.4 million people in 13 districts are affected as of September 8, 2026. The Ganga exceeded previous highest flood levels at Gandhi Ghat and Pandarak during the weekend, while the official flood-monitoring system showed the river still above its previous HFL at Sultanganj on September 8.
Flooding in Bihar, India, on September 8, 2026. Credit: Bihar Police/X
Five drowning deaths have been confirmed in flood-affected parts of Patna district. ABP Live reported, citing Danapur Sub-Divisional Officer Virupaksh Vikram Singh, that two people drowned in Danapur and three in Maner.
The Ganga exceeded its previous highest flood level at Gandhi Ghat in Patna, where the Water Resources Department reported 50.57 m (165.9 feet) at 06:00 LT on September 6, 2026. The level was 0.05 m (0.16 feet) above the previous HFL of 50.52 m (165.7 feet), recorded on August 21, 2016.
At Pandarak, the Ganga reached 43.92 m (144.1 feet) at 06:00 LT on September 6, exceeding the previous HFL of 43.73 m (143.5 feet), recorded on August 16, 2021, by 0.19 m (0.62 feet).
A further HFL exceedance was recorded downstream at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district on September 8. Bihar’s official real-time flood-monitoring system showed the Ganga at 36.81 m (120.77 feet) at 15:00 LT, above the station’s previous HFL of 36.75 m (120.57 feet). The river was steady at that observation.
River conditions remained uneven along the Ganga corridor. At 15:00 LT on September 8, Gandhi Ghat was at 50.20 m (164.70 feet) and falling, Buxar at 60.04 m (196.98 feet) and falling, and Munger at 39.99 m (131.20 feet) and falling. Bhagalpur was steady at 34.60 m (113.52 feet), while Kahalgaon stood at 32.78 m (107.55 feet) and was rising. Sultanganj remained above its previous HFL.
Floodwater continued to isolate communities despite falling levels at some gauges. Several panchayats in the diara areas of Maner, Danapur, Raghopur and Panapur remained surrounded by water, while connectivity between several villages in Mokama, Athmalgola, Fatuha and Bakhtiyarpur and their district headquarters was disrupted.
In Bhagalpur district, a small boat carrying 10 people capsized in the flood-hit Kharik-Raghopur area on September 8. SDRF personnel rescued everyone aboard. Akashvani reported that the vessel was carrying fodder when it capsized in the Ganga at Raghopur Diara in Naugachia block.
Flood-control structures were also affected. On September 5, Akashvani reported damage to a 20 m (66 feet) section of the Mahi River embankment near Trilokchak in Saran district, where an SDRF team was deployed. Subsequent reporting said Mahi floodwater inundated more than 12 villages near Semrahia under Murauna panchayat, while a ring bund on the Daha River breached near Imadpur Bind Toli and affected additional settlements.
Floodwater also remained in parts of Hajipur and settlements affected by the Punpun. Several major rivers across Bihar, including the Gandak, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Ganga, Punpun, Bagmati and Ghaghra, were above danger levels at individual gauges.
The India Meteorological Department’s Meteorological Centre Patna maintained a heavy-rain warning for Bihar on September 8, with heavy rain also listed for September 9 and 10. Thunderstorms, lightning and squally weather were included in the warnings for the same period.
September falls within the period when flooding can persist across saturated monsoon regions of South Asia. The hydrological distinction in the current event is the exceedance of previous highest flood levels at multiple Ganga gauges rather than the seasonal timing of the flooding itself.
References:
1 Real Time Alert / Flood Monitoring Information System – FMISC WRD Bihar – September 8, 2026
2 Sub-division-wise warnings for Bihar – India Meteorological Department, Meteorological Centre Patna – September 8, 2026
3 Bihar flood impact, relief operations and five confirmed drowning deaths in Danapur and Maner – ABP Live – September 8, 2026
I’m a science journalist and researcher at The Watchers, contributing to the Epicenter edition, where I cover peer-reviewed scientific research and emerging discoveries across Earth and space sciences. With a background in astronomy and a passion for environmental science, I’ve worked in shark and coral conservation in Fiji, conducting reef and shark-behavior research, contributing to mangrove restoration, and earning PADI Open Water and Coral Reef Certifications. I bring a blend of scientific rigor and storytelling to illuminate the discoveries shaping our planet and beyond.
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