Five Bihar districts on high alert following Nepal's Kali Gandaki River overflow threat

Patna: The Government of Bihar has placed five districts on high alert following reports of a landslide in Nepal. The calamity has led to the formation of a lake in Nepal's Kali Gandaki River, according to reports.

The state government has taken this precautionary measure as a step to counter the possibility of the artificial lake bursting to allow huge surges of water to flow in an unrestricted manner into these five districts, and causing damage to life and property.

State Water Resource Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said all 36 gates of a dam at Balmiki Nagar have also been opened to meet any eventuality.

The districts placed on alert are East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan and Saran. State Water Resources Department Secretary Dipak Kumar Singh told media here that water department officials have been asked to be prepared as a sudden breach in the Kali Gandaki River blockage might increase water overflow levels.

Several hundred villages dot the low-lying riverine area of the Gandak and they are the ones facing an immediate threat.