River Gandak breaches embankment in Bihar (Hindu 17 September 2010)

Flood relief operations begin in three affected districts
Breach due to discharge of 182,000 cusecs of water from Valmikinagar barrage near Nepal
Eight National Disaster Response Force teams rush to the affected districts
PATNA: The Saran embankment, under severe strain from the rising Gandak river, gave way on Thursday afternoon causing a breach in a 500-metre stretch of the embankment near Simaria village in North Bihar's Gopalganj district.
The State government, which has been mobilising resources since Tuesday, has started relief operations in the three districts of Gopalganj, Chhapra and Siwan on a war footing.
However, Water Resources Department and disaster management authorities told The Hindu that the situation was under control as the water pressure was “not very strong” and was “gradually easing”.
Principal Secretary (Disaster Management) Vyasji Mishra informed that “a retired line” was being constructed behind the breached embankment at Simaria village in Barauli block to check the flow of the water and preventing it from spreading.
While there had scarcely been any rainfall in neighbouring Nepal (a mere 28 mm in the Gandak catchment area on Tuesday), officials in the State Flood Cell said that the breach was due to a rise in the levels of the Gandak owing to a discharge of 182,000 cusecs of water from the Valmikinagar barrage near Nepal.
Special Secretary (Disaster Management) Satyendra informed that eight National Disaster Response Force teams with more than 25 motor boats had been rushed to these districts.
Food grain allotment
Additional allotment of food grains including 60,000 quintals for Gopalganj and 10,000 quintals for Saran has been made.
State officials further said that all necessary arrangements had been made at camp sites with regards to food, drinking water and sanitation facilities with more than 55 “shelter-camps” being set up in Gopalganj and Siwan as of now.
While authorities have stated that the incident was hardly comparable to the 2008 Kosi deluge, they place the number of people likely to be affected at a conservative 1 lakh.
However, according to information obtained from the State Disaster Management Department, more than 80,000 families comprising a population of around 5 lakh people in the three districts of Saran division would be afflicted in case water spills over National Highway 28.