BREACH POINT

"The Kusaha embankment at 12 kms from the Kosi barrage at Hanuman Nagar, Nepal breached on August 18, 2008 sealing the fate of around 0.6 million families living across the districts of Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Purnea and Araria."

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SAHARSA
No of villages affected:	144
Population affected:	430,778
Livestock affected:	158,000
No of relief camps opened:	80
Persons in relief camp:	40,613
No of temporary toilets:	250
No of health centres:	17
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ARARIA
No of villages affected:	96
Population affected:	386,328
Livestock affected:	80,000
No of relief camps opened:	62
Persons in relief camp:	74,850
No of temporary toilets:	214
No of health centres:	14
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MADHEPURA
No of villages affected:	378
Population affected:	1,155,000
Livestock affected:	300,000
No of relief camps opened:	97
Persons in relief camp:	54,222
No of temporary toilets:	140
No of health centres:	28
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PURNIA
No of villages affected:	118
Population affected:	85,000
Livestock affected:	35,000
No of relief camps opened:	38
Persons in relief camp:	54,078
No of temporary toilets:	292
No of health centres:	29
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SUPAUL
No of villages affected:	243
Population affected:	893,790
Livestock affected:	450,000
No of relief camps opened:	41
Persons in relief camp:	55,899
No of temporary toilets:	257
No of health centres:	20
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KOSI BARRAGE

The Kosi barrage and its embankments were inaugarated in 1964 as part of the Indo Nepal Kosi treaty of 1954 with a proposed life span of 25 years and with india being responsible for the upkeep of the structures. With close to 20 years past the barrage's utility, a lackadiasical attitude towards maintenance by the indian side and now a breach in one of its embankments at Kusaha…the flood ravaging Bihar, was perhaps to be anticipated.

Consider this,

Total capacity of the barrage 0.95 million cusecs

Highest flow recorded 0.93 million cusecs in 1968

Flow on the day of the breach 0.14 million cusecs

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