New Gandak embankment breaches flooded villages in Saran and Muzaffarpur on October 1. The Times of India reported that evening that Indian Air Force helicopters dropped dry rations in Saran’s Panapur block after water spread into settlements and farmland.
Public broadcaster Akashvani had reported more than 200 affected villages across six districts on September 30: West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran. It said Water Resources Department teams were working on flood protection and relief. That village count predates the latest breaches.
NASA’s October 2 Earth Observatory account provides independent evidence of earlier inundation. Satellite images from September 20 and 29 show the Gandak spreading beyond its earlier channel after heavy rain in Nepal. They document conditions before the October 1 breaches, rather than measuring the additional flooding.
The new relief operations therefore come during an already extensive emergency. Flood extent, household losses and delivery of assistance are separate measures; satellite imagery alone cannot establish how much aid reached each affected family.