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New Delhi, Aug 27, 2008: Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is all sit to
visit flood ravaged districts of Bihar. Kosi a river that flows in the Indian
state of Bihar from Nepal has threatened several million people living in half
a dozen districts of the poor north Indian state.
Around 45 people have already been killed in surging flood waters that have
already flooded hundreds of villages in districts bordering Nepal.
More than a million people have already been affected by the flood that is
threatening to take a magnitude seen never before.
The state chief minister Nitish Kumar has pushed the panic button and has asked
people living in the affected districts to vacate the whole area. His
government that mostly runs on central government handouts does not have the
means to evacuate several million population.
The chief minister is already talking of keeping the affected people in relief
camps for the next eight to nine months.
'Keeping ten lakh people in relief camps for eight-nine months would be a
challenge, said Nitish Kumar.
This is the worst flood in Bihars history. Millions of people are on the verge
of being displaced from their lands, with hundreds of thousands fearing never
to be able to return to the lands where they have spent their lifetime.
Kosi river has played havoc with the people of Bihar on a proportion never ever
thought possible. Around 45 people have already been killed in surging flood
that threaten to submerge four districts of the Bihar state near Indo-Nepal
border.
The state government that has been sleeping over the mammoth tragedy is slowly
coming to terms with the magnitude of the problem.
Finally it seems that Kosi river that is nicknamed Ssorrow of Bihar has
brought them out of their deep slumber. But a lot of damage has already been
done.
The river Kosi picked up a channel it had abandoned over 200 years ago almost a
week ago. The river has broken its embankment drowning towns and villages and
affecting several million people.
Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Sing
to seek his help in dealing with the catastrophe caused by floods after the
river Koshi suddenly changed its course in neighbouring Nepal.
Former chief minister of the state and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav who
also met Manmohan Singh later said, Three helicopters are already air dropping
food materials but it will not make much difference. More and more Air Force
helicopters should be pressed into crisis management and more boats to rescue
those who are trapped and taken to safe area if we rely on the State government
assistance we will be responsible for the death of thousands more to be killed
in this flood.
Nitish Kumar said that calling the tragedy a flood will be an understatement.
He added, Flood is understatement, it is a disaster. Our top priority is to
evacuate people and bring them to the safer places.
In the meantime local people are devastated. They say that they are not getting
any help from administration. Muhammad Naushad who lives near Araria city said
that he had to pay boatmen around Rs 5000 for the evacuation of his family of 7
members. He said that his house is under water and he is not sure how much of
his house would be left when the water recedes.
Chief Minister while talking to the reporters said, Nearly 25 lakh people are
waging a grim battle against the floods which have assumed proportions of a
catastrophe. The nature is putting my government to test once again, but we
will succeed.
But despite his tall claims of his government reaching out to victims, the
condition on the ground is pathetic to say the least.
The floods have affected 15 districts - Muzaffarpur, Patna, Katihar, Nalanda,
West Champaran, Khagaria Sheikhpura, Purnia, Saran, Begusarai, Bhagalpur,
Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Araria.
Bihar Group
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://yahoogroups.com/group/Bihar-Network
