Bihar is currently grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis as relentless heavy rainfall has caused all seven of its major rivers to breach danger levels. According to the state’s Disaster Management Department, nearly five million residents have been displaced or impacted, with vast stretches of farmland submerged under floodwaters. Local reports indicate at least 20 fatalities since the onset of the flooding earlier this month, a situation compounded by the region’s geography as it sits downstream from Nepal, which also recently experienced devastating deluges.

In response, the state government has mobilized a massive relief operation, deploying nearly 1,800 boats and establishing over 1,000 community kitchens to support those stranded. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary confirmed that authorities are actively distributing clean water, medicine, and food, while the administration has transferred 7,000 rupees to over 827,000 affected families. Despite these interventions, many residents like Chandan Kumar Mahto and Lakhmania Devi describe a desperate reality, noting that they are living on rooftops and struggling to secure basic necessities as they wait for the waters to recede.