Ten Districts Affected as 16 People Drown While Collecting Water for Navratri Pooja

The Navratri season in Bihar was marred by a series of drownings that claimed sixteen lives. The tragedy unfolded when devotees and ordinary citizens entered riverbanks and ponds to fetch water needed for the kalash and other puja items. The surge in water level across ten districts – three deaths each in Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Sitamarhi and one death in each of Samastipur, Shivhar, Bhojpur, Saran, Begusarai, Nawada and Rohtas – points to a widespread safety lapse. Rapid currents and hidden depths prevented many from realizing the risk until it was too late.