Gandak River Falls as Bihar Suspends Seven Engineers Over Flood Negligence

The Gandak River's water level began receding sharply on Sunday, prompting the Bihar government to suspend seven engineers for alleged negligence in flood response. At Rewaghat in Saran, the river fell 177 cm from its record high and is now 50 cm below the danger mark, according to the Water Resources Department. At Lalganj in Vaishali, the level dropped 130 cm, staying 52 cm above the danger mark but expected to dip below within 24 hours. The department reported no pressure on embankments, saying seepage and piping issues have been fixed and materials are stocked at breach sites. Heavy rainfall in adjoining Nepal and Uttar Pradesh had pushed the Gandak to unprecedented heights, with record peaks recorded at Devghat in Nepal and at Bagaha, Dumariaghat, Rewaghat and Lalganj in Bihar. Post‑flood inspections uncovered laxity and delays by some engineers, citing inadequate mobilisation of manpower, insufficient material supplies and poor coordination with locals and elected representatives. Seven engineers – including executive engineers Santosh Kumar Prabhakar and Md Sajid Iqbal, assistant engineers Sunil Kumar, Vinod Kumar and Md Javed Ansari, and junior engineers Chandrashekhar Kumar and Vikas Kumar – were suspended immediately. Departmental proceedings were also ordered against Muzaffarpur chief engineer Kumar Manoj Gupta for alleged negligence after damage to the Champaran embankment. The state said any negligence during a disaster will attract strict action. Nearly 9.87 lakh people in 169 gram panchayats across 30 blocks of six districts – West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur – were affected. Relief efforts included distribution of 1,17,847 polythene sheets, 1,19,131 dry ration packets, deployment of 324 boats, operation of 196 community kitchens and mobilisation of 14 NDRF and 28 SDRF teams.## Context Bihar often faces flood risks when monsoon rains in Nepal and Uttar Pradesh swell rivers like the Gandak, making swift disaster response and accountable engineering crucial for protecting vulnerable communities.