August 18 marked 18 years since the Kosi river breached its eastern embankment at Kushaha in Nepal, flooding large parts of north Bihar.
The 2008 disaster affected around four million people in Bihar, killed 493 people and destroyed more than 236,000 houses, according to official records.
Campaign groups say many affected families are still waiting for full relief, compensation and rehabilitation despite official promises and World Bank-funded recovery projects.
Survivors and local organisations say the disaster exposed the false sense of security created by embankments and the need for stronger accountability in Kosi flood management.
August 18, 2026 marked 18 years since the Kushaha tragedy, one of the most devastating flood disasters in Bihar’s recent history. On this day in 2008, the eastern embankment of the Kosi River breached at Kushaha in Nepal, causing the river to shift course and send water across large parts of north Bihar.
After flowing through Nepal, the floodwater crossed the Indian border and spread across a width of 15 kilometre to 20 km in Bihar. It passed through areas that were considered flood-safe before joining the Ganga at Kursela, about 150 km away.
The breach affected about 65,000 people in Nepal and around four million people in Bihar’s Supaul, Araria, Purnia, Madhepura and Saharsa districts. The river’s discharge at the time was only 166,000 cusecs, according to official records.
The Kosi Flood Needs Assessment Report, prepared in 2008 by the Government of Bihar, the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, said the floods affected 3,700 sq km across Nepal and India.
Official records showed the scale of the disaster. A total of 493 people were killed and 3,500 were reported missing. In Bihar, the floods affected 993 villages across 412 panchayats and completely destroyed 236,632 houses.
About 440,000 people took shelter in 362 relief camps. The floods also damaged 1,800km of roads and 1,100 bridges and culverts.
Crop losses were also severe. Around 38,000 acres of paddy, 15,500 acres of maize and 6,950 acres of other crops were damaged. Nearly 10,000 dairy animals, 3,000 other livestock and 2,500 small animals were killed.
Local organisations say the actual losses were higher than the official figures.
The central government declared the floods a national disaster and allocated Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief. Later, the Bihar government received a $220m World Bank loan for the Kosi Flood Recovery Project and $250m for the Kosi Basin Development Project.
The Bihar government also promised to “build back better” in the Kosi region.
Eighteen years later, survivors and campaign groups say those promises remain only partly fulfilled.
According to the Kosi Flood Recovery Project documents, 236,632 houses were damaged in the disaster.
Campaigners say the state government built houses for 56,058 families under the owner-driven reconstruction component, supported by World Bank funding. But they say 180,574 families were left out of the rehabilitation process.
They also allege that figures from Birpur Nagar Panchayat in Supaul district, Madhepura Nagar Parishad and Murliganj Nagar Panchayat in Madhepura district were not included, while families whose homes were partially damaged were treated separately.
Campaign groups also say families in urban areas were excluded from the rehabilitation process. They allege that this meant compensation and rehabilitation work did not take place for affected households in these areas.
After the disaster, the Bihar government formed the Kosi breach judicial inquiry commission to investigate the causes of the tragedy and recommend future action. Justice Rajesh Balia was appointed its chairperson. The commission was expected to submit its report within six months, but submitted it to the state government on June 6, 2014, after five years and eight months.
Campaigners say the report suggested action on several points. The state government formed two inquiry committees on July 14, 2014, to examine those recommendations. But 18 years after the breach, campaign groups say no action has been taken against those responsible for the failure.
For many survivors and volunteers, the disaster has left unresolved claims for compensation. Pritam Mukhiya, a resident of Dighiya village in Nirmali block of Supaul district, says he had sold farmland near the road and built a large boat from sakhua wood. The boat was 38ft long and 8.5ft wide.
During the Kushaha floods, he says, the Nirmali circle officer asked him to take the boat to help rescue flood victims. Mukhiya said he went to the Triveniganj area of Supaul district and rowed the boat for 58 days, often without proper food and water, helping rescue thousands of people.
He says he did not receive payment for using the boat, even though he had a boat permit and log book when he left, and a release certificate from the Triveniganj circle officer after the work was completed.
On the way back, he says, the boat broke apart while being transported on a small cart. He says he has still not received compensation either for the boat’s use or for its damage.
Campaigners say several boatmen in the area faced similar problems. Mukhiya says he has spent years visiting government offices to pursue the claim. On August 5, 2026, he filed a case in the permanent Lok Adalat at Supaul court.Families await ex-gratia
Other families also say they are waiting for compensation linked to deaths during the flood. Sunil Yadav, son of Manoj Yadav of Gangapur panchayat, Ward No. 8, in Murliganj block of Madhepura district, died by drowning during the Kosi floods.
His family says the body was found after several days of searching and a case was registered at the police station. But they say they have not yet received the death ex-gratia payment. They say they have spent their own money making repeated visits to government offices.
Campaign groups say the cases of Mukhiya and Yadav are not isolated, and that many affected families continue to struggle for relief, compensation, rehabilitation and justice. They argue that while the government used World Bank loans to build new departmental infrastructure in Birpur in Supaul district, many victims of the Kosi tragedy still feel abandoned.
People from across India and abroad travelled to Bihar to help during the disaster. Among them was Chandrakant Patil, a 25-year-old volunteer doctor from Dhule in Maharashtra, who was treating flood victims in Supaul district.
On September 21, 2008, he died after being struck by lightning at a relief camp. His death deeply affected his family and fellow doctors. For several years, doctors in Kolkata remembered him through memorial lectures and award events.
Campaign groups say the Bihar government and administration have not formally recognised his contribution. This year, social organisations are planning events on his death anniversary and are demanding that a statue be built in his memory.
The Kosi Nav Nirman Manch, a local people’s organisation, has continued to campaign for the rights of flood victims since the disaster.
The group says it has submitted applications to several offices, held protests and gheraoed the Chief Minister and the Legislative Assembly to press for compensation, rehabilitation and accountability.
Campaigners say the Kushaha tragedy exposed the false sense of security created by embankments and the administrative failure of the Kosi project.
They argue that the disaster was not only a natural event, but also the result of inadequate maintenance, poor preparedness and weak accountability.
Even today, they say, the Kosi riverbed continues to rise, increasing the long-term flood risk for the region.