Central team to visit Bihar on September 16 to assess flood damage

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Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary speaks during the inauguration of the Hindi Diwas Celebration-cum-Poetry Conference organised by the Cabinet Secretariat (Official Language) Department at the Bihar State Archives Building on Nehru Path, in Patna on September 14, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday (September 14, 2026) announced that a central team, led by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, will visit Bihar to assess the flood situation and the damage caused by the floods. His statement has come a day after Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the State and Central governments over its tepid response to Bihar floods.

Mr. Yadav on Sunday (September 13, 2026) said that he had written letters to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister seeking compensation and special economic package but got no response, and the Central government has been unsympathetic towards the State so far.

Mr. Choudhary said that the concerned officials were busy monitoring the flood situation and doing all possible work in the flood-affected areas. According to the latest figures of the Bihar Disaster Management Department (DMD), the floods affected over 49.36 lakh people in 88 blocks of 15 districts: Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea, Arwal & Madhepura.

“Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has given the direction to form a team and today I spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji, who told me that a central team in the leadership of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, will visit Bihar on September 16, 2026 to assess the flood situation and damages done to the crops, houses and other infrastructure. I want to thank Prime Minister for thinking about Bihar despite remaining busy in BRICS summit,” Mr. Choudhary said during the Hindi Diwas programme organised in Patna.

He added that Bihar’s rivers form a vital foundation for the State’s life and economy; therefore, they must be both interlinked and preserved.

“Work is being carried out with a long-term perspective regarding the conservation of the river system, water management, and flood control. The government aims to minimise the loss of life and property caused by floods while ensuring a permanent and effective solution to the problem,” Mr. Choudhary said.

Mr. Yadav, on Monday (September 14, 2026) wrote on X criticising the central government over the floods.

“Just a few years ago, when there was a flood in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi went for an aerial survey, and immediately gave a package of 500 crores. Teams from the Army, Air Force, and NDRF were deployed for relief and rescue. Victims were given 2-2 lakh rupees each. Now look at Bihar—more than 50 people have died in the floods. Thousands of livestock are missing, there’s damage worth thousands of crores, over 45 lakh people are affected, but forget help—not a word has come out of Prime Minister Modi or the Home Minister’s mouth,” Mr. Yadav said in the post.

He also mentioned that this year, on July 23, it just rained in Gujarat, and one person died due to the rain following which Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah held a conference with the CM there, and the Air Force and NDRF were told to stay on alert mode.

“Why such discrimination against our Bihar? In Gujarat, the central government springs into action even for rain, not floods, but in Bihar, even with hundreds dying and over 45 lakh Biharis affected, there is no commotion,”Mr. Yadav wrote.

On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Mr. Choudhary urged the people of the State to use the language as much as possible in their daily lives. He also announced a two-day ‘Hindi Sahitya Samagam’ (Hindi Literature Conclave) would be organised in Bihar to promote the literary and cultural reach of Hindi. 

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