Flood Development and Agricultural Vulnerability: A Case Study on Farmers of Purnea District

Abstract Floods remain one of the most persistent environmental hazards in Bihar, and the Purnea District lies at the heart of this vulnerability due to its physiographic and hydrological setting. The district is located between the unstable Kosi basin in the west and the Mahananda system in the east, making it a natural receptacle for monsoon floodwaters. Each year, the arrival of heavy rainfall between June and September inundates large areas, damaging standing crops, eroding soils, and destroying agricultural infrastructure. Since nearly three-fourths of the district’s workforce depends directly on agriculture, the implications of floods extend beyond the immediate physical damage and spill over into food insecurity, rural indebtedness, and large-scale seasonal migration. This study examines the geographical processes of flood development in Purnea and assesses agricultural vulnerability by analyzing block-level variations in cultivable area, irrigation intensity, literacy, and socio-economic conditions. Findings reveal that agriculturally advanced blocks such as Dhamdaha and Krityanand Nagar, though highly productive, face severe risks when irrigation systems are disrupted, while less irrigated blocks like Purnea East and Dagarua experience prolonged waterlogging and delayed recovery. Further, poor sanitation, gender gaps in literacy, malnutrition, and weak health infrastructure aggravate post-flood crises. The analysis confirms that flood vulnerability in Purnea is not solely a product of natural hydrology but also of entrenched socio-economic constraints, requiring integrated approaches that combine flood management with broader rural development strategies.