Flood-hit Bihar villagers loot fodder from train

With large parts of north Bihar ravaged by floods, standing crops have been damaged extensively. Moreover, huge quantities of dry fodder stored by villagers have also been swept away, leading to a severe shortage of food for animals.

“These cows and buffaloes are our only assets. Our life is dependent on them,” said a flood affected villager from Khagaria while confirming the loot. Local policemen too said they were helpless in front of the huge crowd.

Meanwhile, a 10 member Central team is currently touring the flood ravaged areas of the state to assess the extent of damage. Based on the report of the team, the Centre will decide the flood compensation package for Bihar. The state Government has already demanded Rs 8,000 crore as compensation from the Centre.

The team began its survey on Wednesday and was expected to complete it by Friday and return to New Delhi after meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Apart from on the ground assessment, the team will also carry out aerial surveys of the worst affected districts.

This year’s flood is being dubbed as the worst to have struck the state, rendering thousands homeless and affecting a population of more than 20 million. Apart from the loss to human and animal life, thousands of houses and large tracts of standing crop have been damaged. Though the flood situation has improved to a great extent with all the major rivers receding, the miseries of the affected population is far from over. Outbreak of water borne diseases and acute shortage of essential materials have been reported from the affected areas.