Flood

This special News Today broadcast covers key economic, geopolitical, and national developments. The programme examines the political and economic debate surrounding the levy of a 0.4 percent merchant discount rate on Unified Payments Interface transactions exceeding 2,000 rupees.

Severe floods have shut down schools and submerged homes across parts of Bihar, including Raghunathpur village in Katihar district. To prevent learning loss and keep children engaged with their studies, private tutor Mohammed Saheb has converted a boat into a makeshift floating classroom. Classes are conducted for an hour to an hour and a half in areas where the water is shallow. Students attend the lessons with parental consent, stating that they feel safe and enjoy continuing their education despite the surrounding floodwaters.

A ground report from Malda district in West Bengal reveals severe inundation caused by swelling waters in the River Ganga and Mahananda. Excess water flowing downstream from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has completely submerged villages along the riverbanks, including Ratanpur in the Ratua gram panchayat, for over ten days. While National Disaster Response Force teams, civil defence units, and Malda police carry out rescue operations using boats, several families and livestock remain stranded amid severe bank erosion. At the Mahananda Tola Swastha Kendra primary health centre, floodwaters have risen over five feet, leaving outdoor facilities submerged and the power supply completely disconnected. Despite pitch darkness and the threat of venomous snakes entering the building at night, medical officer Dr Arijit Sutradhar and health staff remain stationed round the clock to run emergency services, attending to patients who arrive on local country boats.

The flood situation in Malda has worsened after the rising water levels of the River Ganga completely inundated parts of Ratua and Manikchak, including Nakati. Local residents have endured severe waterlogging for nearly fifteen days, risking their lives on makeshift tin boats to transport rations and salvage belongings from flooded homes. With West Bengal Civil Defence Water Wing boats proving insufficient for the population, displaced villagers are taking shelter along roadsides and bridges. A special administrative team comprising the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, and senior bureaucrats has been deployed by the Chief Minister to monitor the ground situation.

An exhibition at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi highlighted India's emerging prowess in defence and space technologies, spotlighting private sector innovations developed alongside the Indian Space Research Organisation. Among the featured innovations is OptoSAR, a 190-kilogram satellite designed by IIT Madras alumni that combines optical payloads and synthetic aperture radar. The satellite simultaneously captures images through clouds, smoke, and nighttime conditions, serving defence operations, flood monitoring, and forest fire management. Following the launch of Mission Drishti in May, developers aim to build a constellation of 30 satellites within three years to cater to global requirements. The initiative reflects growing government backing and grants aimed at expanding India's private space tech sector.

Severe flooding has impacted several districts across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar following water release from neighbouring Nepal. Residential areas in districts including Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Chitrakoot have experienced waterlogging and disruption, prompting aerial inspections and continuous monitoring. Authorities have pledged comprehensive assistance and essential relief supplies to all affected and displaced families, stating that protecting lives remains the foremost priority. While river water levels have begun receding in certain localities, flood-like conditions persist, with local administrations actively distributing relief material and implementing safety measures across the impacted regions.

A major landslide in North Sikkim's Mangan district has partially blocked two rivers, the Teesta and the Chiyabong, following a hillside collapse near their confluence along the Naga and Tosa Road. Water accumulation has been reported in both rivers, leading authorities to place lower belt and downstream areas on alert as a precaution. The district administration and police are continuously monitoring river water levels to check for changes in flow or threats of reaching danger levels. While property damage is currently being assessed, officials confirmed that the Teesta River flow remains normal and no casualties or immediate danger to downstream areas have been reported.

Floods have impacted eleven districts across Bihar, including Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, and Arwal. Sixty-one blocks and three hundred gram panchayats are affected, impacting approximately 16.85 lakh people. At Gandhi Ghat in Patna, the Ganga water level reached 50.57 metres, five centimetres above the 2016 high flood level mark of 50.52 metres, and maintains a rising trend. In Pandarak, the Ganga is at 43.78 metres, exceeding the 2021 high flood level mark by five centimetres. Several rivers, including the Gandak, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Ganga, Punpun, Bagmati, and Ghaghara, are flowing above danger marks.

Following catastrophic flash floods triggered along the Nepal-China border, rescue operations continue across devastated regions including the Trishuli and Bhote Koshi river basins. Over 1,300 bodies have been recovered, while thousands remain missing. Amid widespread destruction of homes, roads, and infrastructure, miraculous survival accounts have emerged from the rubble. Search teams pulled survivors from collapsed structures and submerged hydropower project tunnels days after the disaster struck. In affected settlements, certain reinforced concrete buildings managed to withstand the lateral force and debris flow of surging waters, providing refuge to trapped families. Community interventions also prevented mass casualties, such as the rapid evacuation of over a thousand school students following early flood alerts. The Nepalese army, local civil volunteers, and emergency personnel are deploying temporary ropeways and heavy machinery to navigate damaged terrain, clear sludge, and restore connectivity to isolated villages as search efforts continue.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected regions along the Varuna and Ganga rivers in Varanasi to review the ground situation. Affected residents from submerged residential colonies were shifted to safe locations, including government schools. Relief material distribution is being organised for impacted families. While water levels in the Ganga and Varuna rivers have receded below the danger mark over the past two days, waterlogging persists in residential areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Varanasi's District Magistrate and Mayor to review ground conditions, promising central government assistance for flood management and ongoing relief operations across the district.

A flood alert has been issued across North India following heavy rainfall that has caused rivers and reservoirs to swell. In Uttar Pradesh, overflowing dams in Lalitpur and rising levels of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers have inundated residential areas in Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Kanpur, affecting nearly 3.5 lakh people across 26 districts. In Bihar, eight districts remain on alert as the Ganga submerges areas in Patna's Danapur Dihra block, Begusarai, and Kosi, leaving villages isolated and residents waiting for essential relief. SDRF and local rescue teams remain on standby across both states as further rain is forecast.

The flood crisis in Bihar has deepened as rising water levels in the Ganges submerge multiple villages and key access roads across the Raghopur Diara belt in Vaishali district, forcing residents to evacuate to safer locations. An aerial survey of the Bhagalpur and Naugachia regions was conducted to review relief and rescue operations, with instructions issued to officials to ensure prompt assistance and prevent inconvenience to affected people. While the administration remains on alert to safeguard residential areas and monitor water flow from major rivers, criticism has been raised over the adequacy of safety, relief, and rescue arrangements across the flood-hit regions.

In Nepal, rescue operations following devastating floods have led to multiple miraculous rescues. A 60-year-old woman was pulled alive from the fourth floor of a buried building in Betrawati after spending 11 days trapped under mud and debris. The Armed Police Force located her using sniffer dogs, and she was subsequently transported to Kathmandu for medical care. Additionally, rescue workers at the Upper Trishuli 1 hydropower project site rescued a Chinese national from the Audit 4 tunnel, marking three survivors pulled from critical tunnel areas within two days. International tunnelling experts, alongside the Nepalese Army, police, and scouts, have joined the search efforts equipped with specialized machinery. Official records indicate that over 1,300 people have died, while approximately 5,000 individuals remain missing across worst-affected areas including Betrawati, Dhunge, and Bhattar, where structures were submerged under heavy mud flows.

Catastrophic flash floods in Nepal have claimed more than 1,300 lives, with over 5,000 people still reported missing following severe destruction across Rasuwa and downstream areas along the Mansarovar pilgrimage route. Aerial visuals reveal entire villages, homes, and roads swallowed by heavy debris and floodwaters. Ground rescue operations face severe challenges due to damaged road networks, adverse weather, and contaminated water supplies. Multi-national emergency teams, including the Nepalese Army, Indian Army, NDRF, and personnel from China, Australia, Korea, and the US, are conducting rescue and relief operations. Recent rescue efforts pulled survivors from the Trishuli hydro project tunnel, alongside a 64-year-old woman trapped under muck on a fourth floor in Bhadravati. Forces are using air sorties, ropeways, and heavy cargo drones to deliver food, fuel, and medical supplies to isolated communities, while authorities establish DNA sample collection centres to help identify recovered bodies.

The flood situation in Bihar has worsened as the water level of the river Ganga continues to rise, submerging several villages in the Raghopur Diyara region of Vaishali district. Floodwaters have overtaken rural access roads, forcing hundreds of residents to abandon their homes and move to safer locations. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the state government, stating that the situation in flood-affected regions is alarming and alleging inadequate arrangements for rescue, relief camps, boats, and drinking water. Meanwhile, authorities stated that the Chief Minister is personally monitoring the situation and conducting inspections to ensure necessary relief reaches affected families.

Telangana Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has warned of severe flood risks posed by the Polavaram project, stating that backwaters could submerge several villages and houses along the Godavari Basin up to rooftop levels. He highlighted that the basin lacks free water flow, meaning inflows of 20 to 30 lakh cusecs could cause unprecedented damage and displace numerous residents. Urging the Centre and stakeholder states to reconsider and conduct a fresh review of the project, he noted that key areas like Bhadrachalam face recurring threats during monsoon inflows.

A massive flood disaster has struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, causing widespread destruction. China has officially released casualty figures for the first time following the catastrophe, confirming 31 recovered bodies and 531 people missing on its side. The devastation severely impacted the town of Gyarang, where an immigration building was destroyed. Around 2,500 to 3,000 individuals, including Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, business travelers, and container drivers, were present in the area during the incident. Rescue operations remain ongoing on the Chinese side, with authorities stating that further information and updates will be shared as more bodies are recovered from the disaster zone.

A flood alert remains in force across North India following relentless rainfall that has caused rivers and reservoirs to swell. In Uttar Pradesh, nearly 3.5 lakh people across 26 districts have been affected, with twelve dams in Lalitpur opening gates to discharge excess water. Swelling waters of the Ganga and Yamuna have inundated colonies in Prayagraj and brought levels close to danger marks in Varanasi, while Kanpur closed a bridge over the Pandav River. In Bihar, eight districts are on alert as the Ganga submerged large areas of Danapur Diara in Patna, Begusarai, and parts of Kosi where hundreds of families remain cut off, prompting rescue operations by the State Disaster Response Force.

Nepal continues to deal with the aftermath of devastating flash floods as rescue operations remain underway. Over thirteen thousand people have been rescued so far, while more than five thousand individuals remain missing across affected regions. In a recent operation, two people were pulled out alive from a tunnel. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India responded promptly following the disaster, extending solidarity and support to the people and government of Nepal. India reaffirmed its commitment to stand with Nepal and assist in ongoing rescue, relief, reconstruction, and recovery efforts.

The Karnataka government has withdrawn the controversial Parks Amendment Bill following widespread protests by citizens and opposition parties across Bengaluru. The proposed legislation sought to permit up to five percent of government parkland to be utilised for public purposes and infrastructure projects, sparking concerns over the loss of green spaces such as Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. Opposition leaders accused the administration of attempting to facilitate the contentious Tunnel Road Project, alleging unscientific planning. Defending the move to recall the bill, Congress spokespersons maintained that a democratic government must heed public feedback, confirming that revised proposals would undergo wider public consultation before returning to the assembly. Meanwhile, the BJP characterised the rollback as a major victory for the 'Save Parks, Save Bengaluru' movement, accusing the ruling dispensation of ignoring ecological concerns.