Home India News Frenzy for food kills in flooded Bihar

Frenzy for food kills in flooded Bihar

By Imran Khan, IANS

Darbhanga (Bihar) : Ali Ahmad is in a state of shock after his son Sarfaraz died while trying to catch a food packet dropped by the air force in a flood-hit Bihar village. Though hungry and thirsty like thousands in the “worst ever” floods, Ahmad’s family doesn’t look forward to food any more.

They are still hoping against hope that 17-year-old Sarfaraz is alive.

“We have been praying to god for Sarfaraz’s life … After all only god can keep him alive,” said Ahmad, controlling his tears.

Ahmad, in his 40s, is a resident of Bharhulia village in Darbhanga district – one of the most severely hit by the worst floods in three decades.

Sarfaraz fell from the roof of his house and got swept away by the floodwaters of river Arai Sunday, said Mohammad Rafique, another villager.

“Sarfaraz was anxious and desperate because he and his family were without food for days. And he lost his life in the race to grab a food packet,” said Rafique.

“Sarfaraz was running all over the roof to somehow get a packet when a helicopter airdropped some … but fell into the waters,” a sobbing father said.

District officials admitted that large areas were faced with acute shortage of food, drinking water and health facilities. At several places, the food scarcity had sparked riot-like situations as people fought over food packets.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Bihar have been displaced and are without essentials including medicines for days in the floods the UN says are the “worst in living memory”.

Nature’s fury has claimed over 80 lives, destroyed hundreds of homes and simply cut off several districts.

In another incident, Gudia Khatoon, 15, of Bharhulia too fell off the roof while trying to catch a food packet, but luckily villagers rescued her in time.

Sarfaraz and Gudia’s accidents were just two cases in point. There are reports of dozens being injured and fracturing their hands or legs in a bid to get food.

Santosh Kumar Singh, a social activist engaged in relief work in Darbhanga, said the incidents showed that flood victims were “hungry for days and ready to pay any price for food”.

Indian Air Force helicopters have so far airdropped 4,640 relief packets including food and other essential items in the affected districts. According to officials, each five kg packet contains 4.5 kg of sattu (ground gram), half kg of salt, candles and a matchbox. There, however, is no drinking water.

Over 11.5 million of the state’s 82 million have been affected in nearly 5,000 villages across 18 of Bihar’s 38 districts, preliminary estimates by the disaster management department say.

Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, East Champaran, Supaul, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Madhubani and Samastipur are among the worst affected districts.

Help from the sky is the elusive last hope for those who are yet to get any food or water. Most are sleeping under the open sky and forced to drink polluted floodwater.

Every time a helicopter or a plane hovers into the sky, their hopes rise. But disappointment sets in when the aircraft go past without dropping the packets.

Flood victims realise soon that the planes are busy carrying some politician on an aerial survey of the flood.

“We have been surviving on bread and potatoes donated by people of neighbouring villages. There is no milk for children, no medicines for ailing people,” said Santosh Jha, a schoolteacher who has been stranded on a highway in Darbhanga for six days.

“Many are living dangerously on embankments, highways, rooftops and any high rise place they find to stay alive,” an official admitted.

Some of the 80 deaths were due to drowning, some because of starvation. Others have died after falling to diseases like malaria, kala azar and diarrhoea. Some people got bitten by poisonous snakes.

In the last five days, several newborn babies have died due to absence of health care in areas that have turned into virtual islands.

The elderly have been hit especially hard, with many tragically left behind in inundated villages by younger family members while fleeing.

Crops in 918,000 hectares worth Rs.1 billion have been lost. The government has announced that farmers who have lost their crops will be paid Rs.4,000 per hectare in the form of input subsidy.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil are likely to visit the flood-affected areas Tuesday.

Officials say the situation may improve in the next couple of days as waters of all major rivers, including Bagmati, Adhvara, Kosi, Mahananda and Gandak, are receding slowly.