By Swetha Anil Kumar
Around 50 houses near Mahadevpur Ghat in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district were affected by erosion along the Ganga. The erosion began on the evening of October 9, forcing residents to move to safer places.
Four houses were completely destroyed, while around 10 permanent houses developed cracks. A 50-metre stretch of the embankment was also damaged.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the Bihar Water Resources Department sent teams of engineers to the affected area to carry out protection work. They had arranged about 50,000 sand-filled bags, geobags and other materials to strengthen the riverbank in order to prevent further erosion.
Riverbank erosion happens when flowing water washes away the soil along the river’s edge. This weakens the bank and can cause the land and nearby houses to collapse into the river. The speed of the water, the movement of sand and soil, and the type of soil along the bank can affect how quickly erosion takes place.
Research by engineers associated with Bihar’s Flood Management Improvement Support Centre has examined these factors in the Ganga and their role in riverbank erosion.
The Central Water and Power Research Station’s research on river hydraulics includes studies on bank protection along the Ganga near Bhagalpur. Its work examines river behaviour and the engineering measures used to protect riverbanks.
Madahvpur Ghat, reported flood location.
Erosion has affected the Raghopur area for decades. A report published by Dainik Jagran in September 2026 said the area has faced erosion since 1994, despite repeated protection work.
A scientific study published in the ISH Journal of Hydraulic Engineering also found significant changes in the Ganga’s course between Bhagalpur and Farakka from 1973 to 2019. The study used satellite images to track changes in the river’s banks and the formation of sandbars. These findings show that riverbank erosion is a long-standing problem in the region.
The latest incident has damaged homes and an embankment in the area. Further details on the number of families displaced, the assistance provided to them and the progress of protection work could not be established from the cited reports.
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