2008-08-30 06:34:54 - People in Bihar are in worst of state,the national disaster managment is working at snail pace with logistic support along with material making situation tense.Nowhere are seen army,or police wing or NGO's,the masses suffer with lack of infrastructure such as boats,tents, to this disater.

It is complete failure of timely help to the masses by the adminstration and casual vigil without any remdeial measures on Kosi barrage helped the situation reach the worst state.Three to four millions of people are marooned for months many thousand dead or missing.Rail,roads are blockade,large number of boats required unable to reach the spot of help.

UNICEF is responding to

the worst floods in 50 years in Bihar with clean water, shelter and medicines as families crowd into relief camps in one of India's poorest states.The flooding started after the Kosi River broke a dam in Nepal and breached mud embankments in the Bihar state in India a week ago. The displaced families will not be able to return to their homes for another couple of months until the embankment is repaired."At a time like this, it matters little how the floods started or who or what is at fault. What is critical is urgent help to those in need.

Britain today announced that it would provide 150,000 pounds (about Rs 1.2 Crore) to help flood victims in Bihar where more than 2.6 million people in 15 districts have been affected.The British government's Department for International Development (DFID) said it has asked UNICEF to redirect 150,000 pounds of an existing Trust Fund for immediate assistance to those who have been made homeless by the severe floods in the impoverished Indian state.

In salvage attempt in Bihar, at least 20 persons were feared dead when an army boat carrying flood victims, capsized in the swollen Kosi river in Madhepura district during rescue operation yesterday. The boat carrying over 60 flood victims and some personnel of the army and ITBP, overturned and sank near Mirganj in Murliganj block of the district last evening.

The tragedy occurred as the boat was overcrowded with people eager to reach a safe place. The boat had gone to rescue marooned villagers from Murliganj area while returning the boats were caught in swirl. Some of the rescued villagers jumped out of fear unsettling the boat, which caused the disaster.
The Superintendent of Police, Mr. O N Bhaskar said, while 32 of its occupants were saved by the rescue team, 20 others, including an army havildar, were reported missing and are feared drowned. Additional rescue teams of the army and National Disaster Response Force have been pressed into service to locate the bodies and possible survivors.

Lakhs of people are still marooned and the situation is likely to worsen as the water level in Kosi rever is still rising.National Crisis Management Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary on Friday reviewed the flood situation in Bihar.
For the 400 people in Madhepura, the unhinged railway track precariously swinging in mid-air has become the only lifeline as they are strapped to it to try and beat the hungry waters of river Kosi below.

The Prime Minister, who made an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Bihar on Thursday, termed the floods in Bihar as a national calamity and announced an immediate release of 1,000 crore rupees.

Meanwhile, the government has termed the flood situation in Bihar as extremely serious and promised all help to the Bihar government to deal with the calamity.Words of assurances still needs to reach ground realities.


After a cabinet meeting Friday morning Science and technology minister Kapil Sibal said that the central government is in constant touch with the Bihar government.

More tents and boats are being sent to the state for the affected. According to an official spokesman, more than 37 hundred tents and one lakhs water bottles have also been sent to the state since , Thursday. The Health Ministry is also supplying two crore Halogen tablets.

UK funds will be used to supply clean water, shelter and sanitation for up to 20 camps housing ten thousand displaced families.
European Commission said Friday they are providing more than 2 million euros worth of humanitarian aid to help the victims of floods in northern India and Nepal.Their team is on visit to India to assess the flood siutation.