Bihar Flood: Devastation continues




Image of a submerged highway

Heavy rain for days in Nepal and surrounding pushed the flood sweeping through East & West Champaran, took over most part of North Bihar after the havoc of Araria, Purnia, Kishanganj, affecting over ten million people. The recurring calamity which wrecks damage in the state almost every year has gone particularly devastating, this year.

Locals are suggesting that they have never before, in their memory, experienced the ferocity of flood like this. The state of affairs can be understood from the fact that urban area of Araria, Kishanganj and both East and West Champaran get flooded which is something very rare. More so, the speed at which the water rushed into the cities and villages, especially in the Seemanchal region, let loose extraordinary destruction.

The situation has further deteriorated as one after other embankments is breached by the force of flood. The efforts of inhabitants to plug the breaches mostly went into vain due to strong current of water.

बाढ़ अब मोतिहारी की ओर, शहर के कई और मुहल्ले जलमग्न, सुगौली से लेकर बंजरिया तक फैला बाढ़ का पानी

Beside, a flood expert has pointed out that embankments are generally built on big rivers while small rivers also get overflowed with the draining water from the heavy rain of Nepal and Northern Bihar. At some places, during flood, parallel flowing small rivers overlaps one another and turn into a wide river, taking along habitat that come in the way, he said.

Although 27 NDRF team beside more than ten SDRF are pressed into service, still reports coming from many affected villages suggest that no government assistance has reached, yet. Sources revealed to the TMC that due to shortage of drinking water, the price of packaged water bottle has skyrocketed and being sold five times higher than its MRP. Most of the stranded people are for days without food. In some places, foodstuffs are being looted as soon as brought to distribute, such desperate is the situation.

At the time of writing this report, although the water from urban part of Araria has receded, it has left behind the trail of destruction. Coping up with such a situation, is a big challenge as many water borne diseases are likely to spread. Road, bridge and communication have been snapped, creating problem for rescue operation. The death toll is likely to increase as the magnitude of devastation could be known only after the water recedes.

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