Bihar & Jharkhand Practical information

Health & safety

Dangers & annoyances

The extreme poverty and general lawlessness in Bihar and Jharkhand can make buses and private hire cars targets for dacoits (bandits), who periodically use mock accidents and roadworks to stop vehicles. There has also been an alarming rise in banditry and violence reported aboard trains, despite an increasing military presence. Growing Maoist and Naxalite activity only adds to the region’s reputation as the most dangerous in the country. While state authorities play down the law-and-order problems, newspaper reports and local attitudes suggest there is a long way to go towards cleaning up these states.

Foreign tourists are not specific targets and chances are you won’t encounter any trouble, but it’s a good idea to split up your valuables if making long journeys and avoid travelling after dusk. Always check the security situation before arriving: Bihar Times (www.bihartimes.com) and Patna Daily (www.patnadaily.com) have local news in English.

Flooding ensures that many roads, especially those on the northern flood plains, are unpassable during the monsoon and painfully potholed during the rest of the year, especially in Bihar.