Koshi Barrage under red alert with 31 gates open as Saptakoshi rises
Thirty-one gates of the Koshi Barrage in Sunsari have been opened as the Saptakoshi River rises, and the barrage is under a red alert, Chief District Officer Ishwori Prasad Aryal said on 25 September 2026. The flood discharge stood at 240,000 cusecs, below the 500,000 cusecs the Koshi River has exceeded in earlier years, and Aryal said there was no need to panic. Vehicles are still crossing the Koshi Bridge; a decision on stopping them will be taken only if the water rises further. From public sources and the WeNepal research team