NDRF deploys 9 teams in Bihar amid Nepal flood crisis; Jaishankar sends second relief flight
Synopsis
With 162 confirmed dead in Nepal's Bhote Koshi flash floods and floodwaters threatening to spill into Bihar and Uttar Pradesh via the Gandak River, India has activated a dual-track response — nine NDRF teams on the ground domestically and a second military relief flight carrying 37.5 tonnes of aid already airborne to Kathmandu. The Bihar Chief Minister's personal review on Wednesday triggered two additional team deployments, signalling the seriousness of the downstream risk.
Key Takeaways
NDRF IG Narendra Bundela confirmed nine teams are deployed across vulnerable districts of Bihar as of 27 August .
Two NDRF teams are specifically positioned along the Gandak River corridor; one team has been diverted to Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh .
The Bihar Chief Minister personally reviewed the situation on Wednesday , prompting two additional team deployments.
India dispatched a second relief flight to Nepal carrying 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines, and food packets.
162 bodies have been recovered from Nepal's Bhote Koshi and Trishuli River systems, with hundreds still missing.
The NDRF remains on standby to provide cross-border assistance to Nepal if formally requested.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed nine teams across vulnerable districts of Bihar as flood risk escalates following catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China, NDRF Inspector General Narendra Bundela said on Thursday, 27 August. The force remains on standby to extend cross-border assistance if requested.
NDRF Deployment: What Is on the Ground
According to IG Bundela, the Gandak River poses a significant threat to districts in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as floodwaters move downstream. Of the nine teams deployed in Bihar, two have been positioned specifically along the Gandak River corridor. A separate team has been diverted to the Kushinagar area near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, which officials say could also face inundation.
'The Gandak River affects both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagar, and in Bihar, the districts through which the Gandak flows before eventually merging with the Ganga could be affected. The state government is monitoring the situation,' Bundela said.
The deployment was scaled up after Bihar Chief Minister personally reviewed the flood situation on Wednesday, following which two additional NDRF teams were requisitioned and placed at two new locations. Bundela confirmed the teams will respond according to evacuation plans drawn up by the respective state governments.
India's Cross-Border Relief to Nepal
India on Thursday dispatched a second humanitarian flight to Nepal, carrying 37.5 tonnes of relief material, medicines, and food packets. The flight follows an earlier consignment sent as part of India's emergency response to the flash flood disaster.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed the dispatch in a post on X: 'A second flight has just taken off, carrying 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines & food packets for Nepal.' He added: 'India remains in close and continuous touch with the Nepalese authorities. We will continue to strongly support the ongoing relief efforts.'
The government is also providing humanitarian aid to Nepal through military aircraft, and the NDRF remains on standby should Kathmandu formally request disaster-response assistance.
Scale of the Nepal Flood Disaster
The human cost of the Nepal floods has continued to climb. According to the latest official figures, bodies of 162 people swept away by flash floods along the Bhote Koshi River had been recovered as of Thursday morning, with hundreds more still reported missing. Remains have been found along riverbanks in several downstream districts spanning the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli River systems, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahu, Nawalparasi (East), and Nawalparasi West.
This comes amid what Bundela described as an 'unprecedented' flood situation across the region, with the Government of India coordinating with the Central Water Commission to assess downstream flood risk in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh following alerts from Nepal and China.
What Happens Next
State authorities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are working alongside the NDRF on evacuation contingency plans. The Central Water Commission continues to monitor river levels across the Gandak basin. India's relief operations to Nepal are expected to continue as recovery efforts intensify across the affected river districts.
Point of View
Visible, and military-assisted — but the domestic risk picture deserves equal attention. The Gandak's flood pulse reaching Bihar is not a hypothetical; it is a recurring pattern that has overwhelmed state machinery in past years. The fact that the Bihar Chief Minister had to personally intervene to secure two additional NDRF teams raises questions about whether standing pre-monsoon deployment protocols are calibrated to upstream transboundary flood events. With China also reporting unprecedented flooding, the Himalayan river systems are under simultaneous stress — a scenario that India's disaster-response architecture has not been stress-tested against at scale.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NDRF teams have been deployed in Bihar due to the Nepal floods?
Nine NDRF teams have been deployed across vulnerable areas of Bihar as of 27 August, with two specifically positioned along the Gandak River corridor. Two additional teams were requisitioned after the Bihar Chief Minister reviewed the situation on Wednesday.
Which areas in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at risk from the Nepal floods?
The Gandak River, which flows through Bihar before merging with the Ganga, poses the primary flood risk in Bihar. In Uttar Pradesh, the Kushinagar area near Gorakhpur has been identified as vulnerable, with one NDRF team already diverted there.
What aid has India sent to Nepal after the flash floods?
India has dispatched at least two humanitarian flights to Nepal. The second flight, confirmed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on 27 August, carried 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines, and food packets. Aid is also being delivered via military aircraft.
How many people have died in the Nepal floods?
According to official figures as of Thursday morning, 162 bodies have been recovered from riverbanks along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli River systems, spanning districts including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahu, and Nawalparasi. Hundreds more remain missing.
Is India prepared to send NDRF teams to Nepal directly?
Yes. NDRF IG Narendra Bundela confirmed the force is on standby to provide assistance to Nepal if formally requested. The government is already delivering humanitarian aid through military aircraft as part of ongoing relief operations.
