Understanding a small and unknown river of north Bihar

In flood-prone north Bihar, the state has significantly shaped river management strategies, chiefly through the construction of embankments aimed at controlling floods. However, small, hydrologically connected rivers remain largely invisible in policy discussions. These rivers, though often anonymous, are vital to riparian communities, offering livelihood resources and providing key regulatory services such as hydrological flow and localised flooding. This article explores the deeply interdependent relationship between the River Gehuma, a small perennial river flowing through Darbhanga and Saharsa, and the communities that live along its banks. We show how the Gehuma sustains local socio-ecological systems and how this relationship is being disrupted by changes in the river&s;s flow, driven by large-scale state interventions on the Kamla Balan and Kosi rivers. These disruptions have undermined the Gehuma&s;s capacity to provide essential services, triggering adverse socio-economic consequences for riparian communities. We argue that the exclusion of small rivers from state policy frameworks results in their ecological degradation and the marginalisation of dependent communities. A nuanced, context-sensitive approach to rejuvenation is needed, one that ensures these rivers flow freely, honours natural riverine rhythms, and also incorporates the lived knowledge and practices of riparian populations to foster long-term sustainability and resilience.