On 26 August, catastrophic floods swept through parts of Nepal, leaving hundreds dead and thousands missing as swollen rivers tore through communities.

The floodwaters surged through the Trishuli and Narayani river systems before entering India as the Gandak. As the Himalayan disaster moved towards Bihar, the state faced the threat of a massive influx of water.

At Valmikinagar, however, engineers had a crucial piece of infrastructure on their side: the 57-year-old Gandak Barrage.

As the flood surge intensified, engineers opened all 36 gates of the barrage, releasing nearly 1.5 lakh cusecs of water in a controlled manner. The aim was to manage the enormous volume of water flowing downstream and prevent an even more destructive surge from overwhelming the region.

The intervention did come at a cost.

Low-lying areas of West Champaran were flooded, agricultural fields went underwater, and families had to be evacuated from vulnerable areas. But the barrage helped regulate the incoming water at a critical moment, potentially reducing the impact of the Himalayan flood surge........

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