New Delhi: A household-level flood loss assessment conducted by Megh Pyne Abhiyan, with support from Tata Trusts, has estimated total flood-related losses of Rs 126.3 crore across 2,290 households surveyed in North Bihar during 2024.
The study covered 134 wards, 21 panchayats and seven districts, Pashchim Champaran, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Saharsa, Supaul and Kishanganj.
Titled “Household-level Flood Loss Assessment 2024”, the study adopted a bottom-up approach to capture variations in flood impacts that are often hidden in aggregated data. It disaggregated losses by social demography and flood typology to generate a community-centred, evidence-based understanding of socio-economic and environmental losses.
“This report is not a criticism of what is happening. Rather, this is what Dr Devi Prasad Mishra, Director of the Development Management Institute in Patna, said: the work is actually an act of creating knowledge… this is the knowledge which could be used in figuring out henceforth,” said Eklavya Prasad, Managing Trustee, Megh Pyne Abhiyan.
The research followed a mixed-methods design, combining structured household surveys with participatory field methods. Structured questionnaires were administered at the household level, while participatory techniques such as reconnaissance visits, participatory flood mapping (PFMs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) were used to document community perceptions, coping strategies and recovery practices.
Spatial analysis using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Sentinel-1 satellite imagery assessed flood extent and severity during September-October 2024, with comparisons made against a dry-season baseline from April-May.
The assessment found that losses were spread across 20 categories, consolidated into six major themes, which include housing, personal and household assets, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), land, livestock and agriculture.
Land-related losses accounted for the highest share at 44 per cent (Rs 55.44 crore), followed by housing at 34 per cent (Rs 42.51 crore).
Losses to personal and household assets stood at Rs 14.25 crore (11 per cent), agriculture at Rs 8.27 crore (7 per cent), livestock at Rs 3.02 crore (2 per cent) and WASH at Rs 2.81 crore (2 per cent).
district (pc: Megh Pyne Abhiyan)
The study also documented distinct flood typologies across districts, including breach-induced riverine flooding, flash flooding between embankments, riverside flooding with erosion and compound or hybrid flooding. The number of affected households varied by typology and location, underlining the context-specific nature of flood impacts in North Bihar.
Based on its findings, the assessment called for inclusive and equitable flood preparedness and recovery strategies, noting that asset-focused approaches tend to undercount impacts on asset-poor communities.
Key priority areas highlighted include strengthening local early-warning systems, improving access to healthcare during floods, ensuring education continuity, promoting flood-resilient housing and sanitation and investing in strategic infrastructure such as elevated roads, bridges, drainage systems and embankment strengthening with proper water outflow design.
The report emphasised that building adaptive and forward-looking flood resilience in Bihar will require stronger partnerships among the Government of Bihar, civil society organisations and innovators.
survival precarious.(pc: Megh Pyne Abhiyan)
At the event of the release of the report, Dr KS Vatsa, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) acknowledged the fact that floods are not a new issue, and sustaining interest in mitigation remains a continuous challenge.
He highlighted that existing mitigation efforts have long followed a control-based approach shaped by irrigation and water resources departments, but this may need reconsideration.
Vatsa highlighted that instead of controlling water, the focus should shift to managing and conserving it and giving rivers more space. The “room for the river” approach is emerging, though it requires sustained effort and advocacy to establish it as an alternative model for flood risk management.
He said: “Resources are no longer a major constraint now that mitigation funds have been established at the state level. States have access to these resources, and any shortfall can be supplemented through the National Disaster Mitigation Fund.”
“One of the most immediate objectives we need to set for ourselves is to ensure that every disaster is accompanied by a system for damage and loss assessment,” he added.
However, he further described the study as “very helpful,” saying it offers early insights into how people are coping with floods and the potential for developing programmes, projects, or proposals for areas where floods cause significant household-level losses.
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