PATNA, Aug. 30 -- State machinery has ramped up round-the-clock vigil at the Valmikinagar Gandak barrage and Birpur Kosi barrage after reports of another barrier lake overflowing near the Tibet-Nepal border. The water resources department (WRD), district administrations and police have been placed on high alert to manage any surge in water flow from upstream. All 36 gates of the Valmikinagar barrage on Gandak have been opened to ensure smooth discharge of excess water. At the Birpur barrage on Kosi, 17 of the 56 gates are open. On Friday evening, the Kosi barrage recorded a discharge of 1,44,775 cusecs. Officials estimate an additional inflow of around 10,000 cusecs from the Bhote Koshi. The eastern and western embankments of the Kosi remain secure, with all spur-studs in normal condition. Gandak discharge is being reviewed every half hour, with continuous embankment checks underway. The state government has specifically deputed two ministers, including disaster management minister Ratnesh Sada, to closely monitor the emerging situation. Teams of engineers and administrative officials remain deployed day and night at the critical points. According to the latest WRD gauge data, Gandak was flowing about 28cm above the danger level at Dumariaghat, the Kosi's level at Birpur was about 65 cm above the danger mark of 74.70 m), while the river Ganga flew around 60 cm above the DL of 41.76 m at Hathidal. Several other points on these rivers continue to touch or exceed danger marks. Deputy chief minister and WRD minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said: "The centre of the flood in Nepal is about 250-300 kilometres from Valmikinagar. By the time the water reaches Bihar, its impact is likely to be considerably reduced. However, engineers and administrative teams have been kept fully prepared to deal with any eventuality." This follows the devastating flash floods that struck Nepal around August 26, triggered by a glacial collapse and barrier lake outburst near the Tibet border, claiming hundreds of lives and leaving thousands missing. Bihar, which faced a similar scare earlier this week, has maintained a high state of preparedness with NDRF and SDRF teams positioned, evacuations from low-lying areas completed where needed, and continuous coordination across departments to avert any major impact....