Record amounts of water being released through the Birpur barrage on the Kosi river in Supaul and the Valmikinagar barrage on the Gandak river in West Champaran have raised serious concerns of flooding among officials and residents in low-lying areas across 14 districts. The risk of flooding is due to heavy rainfall in the upstream areas of rivers in North Bihar and Nepal. Water discharge through the Birpur barrage increased significantly on Saturday, reaching 5.31 lakh cusecs by 2pm, while the Valmikinagar barrage saw a rise to 4.49 lakh cusecs during the same time frame. The Kosi river merges with the Ganga river in Katihar district, and the Gandak river flows north of Patna in Saran district, indicating that Bhagalpur and Katihar would be most affected by the floods. The Supaul district administration has begun issuing public announcements for residents between the Kosi embankments to move to higher ground as a precaution. The state's water resources department has issued a high alert to district officials, instructing them to be prepared and monitor embankments closely, with officials' leaves being cancelled. The water discharge through the Birpur barrage is projected to reach 6.81 lakh cusecs by Saturday night, nearing the highest discharge recorded in the past. Similarly, the Valmikinagar barrage could reach a two-decade high. The 14 districts on high alert include Supaul, Saharsa, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, and Katihar due to the rising water levels in the Kosi river.Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Saran, Vaishali, and Samastipur are experiencing flooding due to the overflowing Gandak river. Additionally, the Bagmati river is also causing significant flood risk in Sitamarhi, Sheohar, and Muzaffarpur districts.