By IANS
Patna : In one of the worst floods in 30 years, thousands of people displaced in Bihar are struggling for survival due to the absence of adequate relief efforts by the state government.
Despite heavy rainfall, many people are living without any shelter. Children crying for milk are being given “bhunja” or roasted food grains. They have no option but to drink polluted floodwater.
“We have been living dangerously near the embankment for the last three days. There was no trace of relief material like food grains, plastic sheets or kerosene,” said Karia Sahni, a fisherman who is marooned on a river embankment along with six family members including two minor children.
Vimal Rai of Muzaffarpur district said: “We have been eating dry chura (rice) and sattu (roasted gram powder) with salt and green chillies for the last five days, drinking contaminated water and sleeping under the open sky as the local administration has not provided any relief to us.”
Floodwaters receded Wednesday after creating havoc for over 10 days, said an official of the Flood Control Cell. Over five million people have been affected in over 2,000 villages across 12 districts.
Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Patna and Bhagalpur are the districts worst affected. Dozens of bridges, embankments and roads have been damaged and hundreds of houses have collapsed, especially in villages.
According to local reports, till Tuesday kerosene had been supplied only to Katihar district and rice was distributed only in Sitamarhi and Saharsa districts.
However, the state Disaster Management Department claims that distribution of relief material is going on in full swing.
According to the department, 1,189 boats have been pressed into service to ferry relief material and evacuate marooned people. About 76 relief camps and 28 medical camps have been set up for the flood-hit people and 31 medical teams are at work to provide healthcare.
Rashtriya Janta Dal chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected districts of north Bihar Wednesday. “I will submit a report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the flood situation and request for central assistance for the state,” he said.
Earlier, Prasad had said that the state government had failed to provide adequate relief to marooned people.
Soon after arriving here from New Delhi, he targeted Nitish Kumar’s absence from the state at the time of crises.
“The chief minister has gone to Mauritius to collect funds and the state is running at the mercy of gods. This is like Nero playing fiddle while Rome was burning,” he said.
Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi have asked Nitish Kumar to cut short his visit to Mauritius.