North Bihar

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North Bihar
Geographic Region
Seal
Coordinates: 26°04′N 85°27′E / 26.07°N 85.45°E / 26.07; 85.45
Country	India
State	Bihar
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Lok Sabha	21
Vidhan Sabha	127+2
Districts	21
Main Languages	Maithili, Bhojpuri, and Hindi
Emerging towns	Samastipur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, Samastipur, Madhubani, Bettiah, Gopalganj, Katihar, Saharsa, Sitamarhi
Emerged towns	Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Motihari, Purnea, Begusarai
Industrial and Financial capital	Begusarai
Website	Official Website

North Bihar refers to the northern part of the Indian state of Bihar, lying to the north of the Ganga River. This region is known for its fertile Gangetic plains, cultural heritage, agricultural dominance, and emerging industries. It shares an international border with Nepal to the north and includes several important rivers like Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, and Kamla, which are both a source of prosperity and recurrent floods.

North Bihar lies between approximate 25°–27° N latitude, 84°–88° E longitude.

It is bounded by Nepal to the north, Jharkhand and the rest of South Bihar to the south, West Bengal to the east, and Uttar Pradesh to the west.

The region primarily consists of alluvial plains, floodplains, and river basins, making it one of the most fertile areas in India. The Ganga River forms the southern boundary, while other major rivers include the Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, and Mahananda.

Districts of North Bihar – Area & Population (2011 Census)

District	Headquarters	Area (km²)	Population
Araria	Araria	2,830	2,811,569
begusarai	Begusarai	1,918	2,970,541
Darbhanga	Darbhanga	2,279	3,937,385
Gopalganj	Gopalganj	2,033	2,562,012
Katihar	Katihar	3,057	3,071,029
Khagaria	Khagaria	1,486	1,666,886
Kishanganj	Kishanganj	1,884	1,690,400
Madhubani	Madhubani	3,501	4,487,379
Madhepura	Madhepura	2,407	2,001,762
Muzaffarpur	Muzaffarpur	3,174	4,801,062
Purnia	Purnia	3,229	3,264,619
Saharsa	Saharsa	1,686	1,900,661
Samastipur	Samastipur	2,904	4,261,566
Saran	Chhapra	2,641	3,951,862
Sheohar	Sheohar	443	656,246
Sitamarhi	Sitamarhi	2,294	3,419,622
district	Siwan[disambiguation needed]	2,219	3,330,464
Supaul	Supaul	2,410	2,229,076
East Champaran	Motihari	3,969	5,082,868
West Champaran	Bettiah	5,228	3,935,042
Vaishali	Hajipur	2,036	3,495,249
Total		61,973	69,537,813

• Bajjika is Spoken in Muzaffarpur district, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, Samastipur & its Nearby Districts
• Bhojpuri is predominantly spoken in West Champaran, East Champaran districts and Saran division.
• Maithili is spoken in Darbhanga division, Kosi division and in some parts of Purnia division.
• Surjapuri is spoken in Kishanganj and in some eastern parts of Purnia district and Katihar.

North Bihar, spanning the fertile plains north of the Ganga river, remains a region deeply rooted in agriculture, while also showing signs of growing industrial diversification.

Muzaffarpur district and Begusarai are among the most industrialized districts of North Bihar. Muzaffarpur is often referred to as the "Capital of North Bihar" due to its economic, cultural, and administrative significance.

Industrialisation in Begusarai District

Aspect	Highlights
Core Industries	IOCL refinery, NTPC thermal plant, fertilizer plant, locomotive shed, Sudha Dairy
Upcoming Projects	Polypropylene unit, new industrial zones, potential private investments
Infrastructure Boost	Rail & road enhancements including bridges and junction upgrades

Industry in Muzaffarpur District

Sector	Highlights
Power Generation	Kanti Thermal Power Station
Heavy/Public Sector	Prabhat Zarda Factory; Ganesh Foundries; Bharat Wagon & Engineering; Bihar Drugs & Organic Chemicals Ltd. (IDPL); Leather Development Corporation; Muzaffarpur Dairy (Sudha)
Manufacturing & Trade	wholesale cloth trade; new sugar mills; Britannia biscuit units
Industrial Clusters	Bela Industrial Area: large bag & textile units; Leather Product Park (95 units, ~10 acres)
Agro/Food Processing	Mega Food Park (78 acres, ₹180.57 crore)
High-Tech & Green Energy	Suresh Chips & Semiconductor (only such unit in Bihar); six biofuel plants
Agriculture-Based Industry	Litchi cultivation: 25,800 ha → approx. 300,000 tonnes/year; major for exports
Recent Expansion Initiatives	₹297 crore approved for acquisition of 700 acres for new industrial development (Aug 2025)

Traditional and Cottage Industries in North Bihar

Industry / Craft	Key Districts	Description
Handloom Weaving	Darbhanga, Madhubani, Bhagalpur	Over 90,000 weavers engaged in cotton, silk, and blended fabric production; traditional designs with cultural significance.
Silk Production	Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea	Centers for tussar and mulberry silk; supported by government mulberry cultivation schemes.
Madhubani Painting	Madhubani, Darbhanga	World-famous folk art using natural dyes on handmade paper, cloth, and walls.
Sikki Craft	Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur	Golden grass craft for baskets, containers, and decorative items.
Lac Bangles	Muzaffarpur, Vaishali	Traditional handcrafted bangles made from natural lac, often decorated with beads and stones.
Khadi and Village Industries	Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Purnea	Small-scale industries producing khadi cloth, hand-spun yarn, and rural handicrafts.
Agricultural Equipment Manufacturing	Hajipur, Fatuha	Small and medium units making threshers, seed drills, and farm tools for local and regional markets.

Energy and Green Initiatives in North Bihar

Project / Initiative	Location / Coverage	Description
Kanti Thermal Power Station Expansion	Muzaffarpur	Upgradation and capacity expansion to meet rising energy demand.
68 New Power Substations	Multiple districts in North Bihar	Strengthening rural, agricultural, and industrial power supply infrastructure.
Adani Power Thermal Project	Bihar (state-wide)	₹3 billion, 2,400 MW thermal power plant to enhance electricity generation.
Ethanol & Biofuel Plants	Various districts	Nine new ethanol plants planned by 2026; promotion of jatropha and bio-gas production.
Renewable Energy Investments	State-wide	₹5,337 crore investment in solar, wind, and biomass-based projects, including energy storage solutions.

Agriculture is the dominant economic activity across the region, with crops like rice, wheat, pulses, jute, maize, and oilseeds widely cultivated.

Agriculture in North Bihar

Crop / Produce	Key Districts	Notable Facts
Rice	Kaimur, Siwan, Purnia, Katihar	Staple crop of the region; Kaimur known as the “Rice Bowl of Bihar”.
Wheat	Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj	Grown extensively in rabi season; supports local food security.
Maize	Purnia, Kishanganj, Katihar	Used for food, fodder, and industrial purposes.
Jute	Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj	Major cash crop; supports jute bag and rope-making industries.
Pulses (e.g., lentils, gram)	Darbhanga, Madhubani, Siwan	Important source of protein in the local diet.
Lychee	Muzaffarpur, Vaishali	Muzaffarpur produces ~40% of India’s lychee; famous “Shahi” and “China” varieties.
Makhana (Fox Nut)	Purnia, Katihar, Darbhanga	Purnia produces ~85% of India’s makhana; a key export item.
Oilseeds	Khagaria, Begusarai	Includes mustard and sunflower; used for edible oil extraction.

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Emerging Infrastructure and Policy Support in North Bihar

Project / Initiative	Location / Coverage	Description
New Industrial Areas	Various districts	Acquisition of 2,627 acres for five new industrial parks with ₹812 crore investment.
Kosi–Mechi River Linking Project	North Bihar	₹6,282 crore irrigation and flood management project to boost agriculture; completion targeted by 2029.
Connectivity Upgrades	Multiple districts	Road, rail, and bridge projects improving trade and mobility within and outside the region.
Religious & Cultural Tourism Development	Sitamarhi, Vaishali, and other sites	Redevelopment of Maa Janaki Temple; promotion of Ramayana Circuit tourism.
Climate Adaptation Measures	Agricultural belts (e.g., Purnia, Darbhanga)	Support for farmers affected by climate change, especially in water-intensive crops like makhana.

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^{[4] [5]}

There are several rivers flowing through this region from north to south and merge in the Ganges river.^[6] These rivers, along with floods, bring fertile soil to the region on a yearly basis. However, sometimes government sponsored floods^[7] causes loss of thousands of lives. Major rivers of North Bihar are Mahananda, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, Kamala, Balan, Budhi Gandak.^[8]

Since the beginning of human civilization, rivers have been an important part of human life. North Bihar has 7 major rivers and several tributaries to them. North Bihar districts are vulnerable to at least five major flood-causing rivers during the monsoon – Mahananda River, Koshi River, Bagmati River, Burhi Gandak River and Gandak – which originate in Nepal.^[9] All these rivers receive water from the Himalayas, so these rivers always have an adequate water supply. Every year, these rivers bring valuable floods for the people of North Bihar. Flood waters used to enter the agricultural land, leave their quite fertile silt and recede to the river. This pattern of humane flood was beneficial for North Bihar, making the land perfectly fertile. However, there are no more natural floods as of today.

Soon after independence, the Congress Government of Bihar made several attempts to domesticate these rivers. High barriers or Bandhs were made on their both banks. This resulted in inhumane and destructive floods. Bandhs caused deposition of silts in the bottom of rivers, because of which, depth of rivers decreased, and so their water holding capacity also decreased. This is the reason these rivers bring more frequent floods now. With flood water, sand comes in force and gets deposited on the land. This way the land of the region in turning barren. Floods, once a boon for North Bihar, has now become a curse.

2008 Kosi flood

Flooded North Bihar
Date	18 August 2008
Location	North Bihar
Deaths	434[10] (Dead bodies were found until 27 November 2008)

The 2008 Kosi flood was one of the most disastrous floods in the history of North Bihar, an impoverished and densely populated region in India. A breach in the Kosi embankment near the Indo-Nepal border (at Kusha in Nepal) occurred on 18 August 2008. The river changed course and inundated areas which were not flooded in decades.^[11] The flood affected over 2.3 million people in North Bihar.^[12]

The flood killed 250 people and forced nearly 3 million people from their homes in North Bihar.^[13] More than 300,000 houses were destroyed and at least 340,000 hectares (840,000 acres) of crops were damaged.^[13] Villagers in North Bihar ate raw rice and flour mixed with polluted water. Hunger and disease were widespread. The Supaul district was the worst-hit; surging waters swamped 1,000 square kilometers (250,000 acres) of farmlands, destroying crops.^[14]

• 
  The Kosi before it flooded in August 2008
• 
  The Kosi during the August 2008 flood

2017 North Bihar Flood

Date	August 2017
Location	North Bihar, India
Deaths	514

The 2017 North Bihar Floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar causing death of 514 people.^{[15][16][17][18][19]} This flood was result of sudden increase in water discharge through the Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, Kosi and Mahananda Rivers due to heavy rain in the catchment areas of the major rivers of north Bihar in Nepal.^[20] Araria district accounted for 95 deaths alone,^[21] followed by Sitamarhi (34), West Champaran (29), Katihar (26), East Champaran (19) while 22 have died in Madhubani, Supaul (13) and Madhepura (15). 11 deaths were reported in Kishanganj, while Darbhanga accounted for 19 deaths, Purnea (9), Gopalganj (9), Sheohar (4), Muzaffarpur (7), Samastipur (1) and Saharsa (4) registered four deaths each while Khagaria and Saran accounted for 7 deaths each. Nowadays, around 1.71 people on average are affected by floods alone.^{[22][23][24][25]}

• Bihar
• North India

• Tirhut
• North Bihar Archived 11 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine