PATNA, Sept. 9 -- Vast swathes of Bihar remain underwater even as the Ganga and its tributaries showed signs of receding in patches on Tuesday, officials said, adding that the flood water from Ganga has started engulfing parts of Katihar, the 14th district to be affected by inundation. In several stretches, water levels have begun to edge down. Water resources department (WRD) officials attribute part of that dip not to reduced inflow alone but to the natural spreading of floodwater across the floodplain, a process that lowers the peak height while prolonging the inundation of low-lying villages and fields. The relief is therefore partial and uneven. Embankments have given way at multiple points in southern Patna, notably near Barahiakol, allowing water to pour into residential areas. In Khagaria more than 1.5 lakh people are affected across four blocks; in Lakhisarai 17 panchayats remain under water; in Bhagalpur dozens of villages along the Ganga and Kosi are submerged and National Highway (NH) -80 still carries two-and-a-half feet of water in places. Official figures released by the disaster management department (DMD) said that more than 35.89 lakh people across 14 districts, 82 blocks and 941 gram panchayats have been hit due to the current spell of floods. The districts affected are Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Buxar, Samastipur, Munger, Katihar, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Purnea and Arwal. The Ganga at Sultanganj in Bhagalpur touched 36.80 metres this morning - a hair above the previous highest flood level of 36.75 metres recorded in August 2021. WRD reports state the trend of Ganga was generally stable. "Elsewhere the river remained well above the danger mark at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Kahalgaon and Munger. The Gandak at Dumariaghat and Hajipur, the Kosi at Baltara and Kursela, the Budhi Gandak at Khagaria, the Punpun at Sripalpur, the Bagmati at Benibad and the Ghaghra at Darauli and Gangpur were all flowing above the red line," state a press note from the WRD....