PATNA, Oct. 3 -- The flood crisis in Bihar's north-western districts remains acute, with waters from the swollen Gandak continuing to inundate vast stretches of farmland and settlements in Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur and Saran even as river levels show a modest decline. Multiple embankment breaches over the past four days have left more than 200 villages under water and damaged standing kharif crops across six Gandak-basin districts. Nearly 493,000 people across 144 gram panchayats in 30 blocks of six districts-West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur-have been hit by the swelling Gandak, principal secretary of the Disaster Management Department Santosh Kumar Mall said in the department's evening situation report of 2 October. Heavy rains in Nepal and the border districts in the last week of September triggered the inundation. Relief operations are in full swing: 242 community kitchens have so far served meals to about 522,000 people, while nearly 68,600 polythene sheets and 64,100 dry-ration packets have been distributed. Three hundred and twenty-three boats are ferrying residents to safety, two relief camps are sheltering 100 flood victims with food and medical care, and 14 NDRF plus 28 SDRF teams remain deployed as the situation continues to be monitored around the clock. Satellite imagery maps extensive probable inundation around Panapur and Hejalpur in Saran district, where the right Saran embankment gave way. "Floodwaters are advancing through Panapur, Karchaulia, Amnour, Jagdishpur, Maker and Parsa blocks towards Hardiya Chaur in Dariapur. From there, excess water is expected to drain into the Ganga via the Mughal Canal and back into the Gandak through Neura and Kakara nalas," said water resources department (WRD) secretary Chandra Shekhar Singh, estimating an additional 22,617 hectares could still face inundation. WRD data show the Gandak is falling at most gauge sites but remains above danger level at three critical locations. At 2 pm, Dumariaghat (Gopalganj) stood at 63.66 m (1.44 m above danger level), Rewaghat (Muzaffarpur/Saran) at 54.97 m (0.56 m above DL), and Lalganj (Vaishali) at 52.01 m (1.51 m above DL). Bagaha, Thakraha, Kukraha, Chatia and Hajipur were below danger level and continuing to recede. New highest flood levels had earlier been recorded at Bagaha (91.25 m), Dumariaghat (64.64 m), Rewaghat (55.68 m) and Lalganj (52.32 m). A late-afternoon departmental update noted that levels at Rewaghat had dropped 71 cm from the recent peak and at Lalganj by 32 cm, yet both remained well above the danger mark. "Pressure on both embankments has eased somewhat and critical seepage and piping have reduced," Singh said. "Continuous monitoring will continue until the situation normalises. Adequate material has been stocked at the breach sites; cut-and-protect work and tagging are under way." The WRD secretary further said flood-fighting operations are proceeding at full pace. Necessary materials have reached the damaged sections of the embankments to plug the breaches, he confirmed, echoing the official note that teams remain deployed round the clock. The Ganga, meanwhile, is flowing above danger level at several stations from Dighaghat downstream to Sahebganj, creating backwater pressure that has complicated drainage from the Gandak. Levels were steady or slowly rising at most Ganga gauges as of 3 p.m. Chief minister Samrat Choudhary has sought Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter support for rescue and relief in the six affected districts. Two IAF sorties had already airdropped dry ration packets over inundated areas of Panapur. In Vaishali, District Magistrate Varsha Singh camped overnight at a seepage site on the ring bund near Pirapur in Lalganj block after reports of leakage and erosion; the breach was contained by early morning on 2 October. In Muzaffarpur's Sahebganj and Paru blocks, nearly two dozen villages remain submerged, with schools, temples and homes under water. Road connectivity on the Muzaffarpur-Chapra NH-722 has been disrupted at several points. Similar scenes of inundated fields, damaged roads and residents moving by boat have been reported from Gopalganj and West Champaran, where earlier breaches occurred near Khairtwa, Fuliyakhad and Sheetalpur. Officials said that while the peak has passed and hydraulic pressure is expected to ease further over the next 48 hours, the volume of water already in the countryside will keep large areas waterlogged for days....