From Rain Deficit to Floods: What Explains Bihar’s Latest Crisis?

Bihar went from a rain deficit of 20% straight to incessant heavy rainfall, leading to 29 deaths in the state.

Bihar has been seeing heavy rainfall since 25 September.

(Photo: The Quint)

From a rain deficit of 20 percent, Bihar is now in the grips of widespread flooding following heavy rainfall since 25 September. So far, 29 people have lost their lives in accidents caused by the incessant rain.

Schools are shut, railways and healthcare facilities are inaccessible. The worst affected area is state capital Patna, where even state cabinet ministers like the Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi and Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar had to be rescued by the NDRF from their residences.

Is this rain normal? Is Bihar government prepared to tackle India’s climate change? We spoke to GP Sharma, vice president of Meteorology at Skymet Weather Services, to decode Bihar’s latest crisis.