Kosi Barrage opens 22 gates to manage flow

Early Friday morning, water levels at the Kosi Barrage in Veerpur, Supaul, rose unexpectedly due to heavy inflow from the Nepalese catchment. Engineers responded by opening 22 of the barrage's 56 gates, allowing a discharge of 1.92 lakh cubic feet per second. By Thursday evening, the total outflow had already exceeded 2.35 lakh cusecs.

Technical officers from the water discharge and flood control department continuously flash the latest discharge figures to downstream administrators, ensuring rapid response capability in case of emergencies. On‑site engineers have been instructed to maintain a permanent camp for constant monitoring, especially at vulnerable spillway and nozzle points.

While the eastern and western embankments of the Kosi remain secure for now, officials caution that persistent monsoon showers over the Himalayas could again raise river levels, demanding vigilant surveillance throughout the basin.