PATNA, Oct. 5 -- Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led dispensation over the recurring floods in Bihar, demanding that its "double-engine" government explain what concrete steps it has taken over the last 17 years to end this annual tragedy and what has actually changed on the ground. In a post on X, Gandhi said floods had once again wreaked havoc across the state, affecting lakhs of people and submerging hundreds of villages, with reports of deaths and people going missing. Extending his condolences to the bereaved families, he noted that the crisis is not new. Every year floods strike, lives are lost, families are devastated and people are forced to migrate. "The people of Bihar need a permanent solution, not just annual relief and assurances," he said. As the political slugfest over the floods gathered momentum, official data from the water resources department (WRD) showed rivers beginning to relent after days of high discharges that had devastated the north-western and northern parts of the state. The Gandak, which recorded a peak discharge of 5.43 lakh cusecs at the Valmikinagar barrage on September 28, had eased sharply by Sunday. The downstream discharge at the barrage was 65,000 cusecs. Water levels at most monitoring sites along the Gandak and other major rivers were either falling or remaining steady, though several locations stayed above or near danger marks earlier in the week. The latest surge in the Gandak had caused widespread inundation across West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali. Officials reported that Gandak waters had spread into about 30 blocks and 156 panchayats, affecting a population of roughly 7.75 lakh. Multiple embankment breaches compounded the damage. In West Champaran, sections of the Champaran embankment gave way at Khairatwa in Bagaha-1 block (roughly 10 metres) and near Phuliyakhad in Bairia. Further downstream, breaches occurred at Sheetalpur in Gopalganj's Baikunthpur block (about 6 metres) and at Haijalpur in Saran's Maker block (around 8 metres), with additional damage reported in Muzaffarpur and other stretches. Field teams plugged scores of seepage and piping points, but the breaches allowed water to spread into farmland, roads and residential areas. Against this backdrop of receding waters and ongoing relief, opposition leaders kept up the pressure. RJD leader and leader of opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav criticised the government for failing to compensate farmers whose crops were destroyed by heavy rain and floods, claiming the state was running on debt while inflation, unemployment, poverty and crime remained high. He said letters and appeals to the chief minister and Prime Minister had yielded no action. Congress aligned MP from Purnea Pappu Yadav was seen distributing relief material and cash assistance to affected families in Chhapra's Taraia area. On the government side, agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, after visiting Gopalganj, said water had receded in several areas and the administration was fully prepared to compensate the losses. It also assured that it will provide all possible assistance....