Rivers in spate as monsoon peaks

Relentless monsoon rains, amplified by downpours in Nepal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, pushed major rivers like Ganga, Sone, Gandak, Bagmati, Punpun, and Kosi past their danger marks on Sunday. Low-lying areas across the state are submerged, displacing thousands, wrecking crops, and battering infrastructure in a dramatic showdown with nature.

- Subhash Pathak

Ganga is roaring through Patna, Buxar, Bhagalpur, and Munger, breaching danger levels by up to 0.51 metres at Digha Ghat, according to the Central Water Commission.

Sone, hitting a record high of 149.50 metres on July 18 at Yadunathpur, continues to surge, while Kosi and Gandak, swollen by massive releases at Birpur and Valmikinagar barrages from Nepal, are causing chaos. Sone is still flowing above the DL(147.14m) by 0.66 metre, whereas Dardha has crossed the red mark (of 56.70m) by 0.85 metre at Masaurhi.