Little Relief

As the tractor drove off into the setting sun after distributing food packets at the relief camp, Sushila and her two sons, both under five years old, watched helplessly.

As the tractor drove off into the setting sun after distributing food packets at the relief camp, Sushila and her two sons, both under five years old, watched helplessly. The jostling crowd had already looted the packets of biscuits being distributed at the relief camp in Janakinagar village, about 50 km west of Purnia. Fortunate to have eaten and fed her children earlier in the day, Sushila smiled bravely, consoling them.

8220;We had brought 17 sacks of rice flakes and sattu, but how could it have been enough for more than 5,000 people? The biscuits meant for the children were all looted,8221; said a man who had helped organise the distribution of food on behalf of a local temple trust.

Even as help pours in from all quarters8212;advocates8217; unions to panchayat associations, temple trusts and even a local television network8212;the sheer scale of the tragedy the marauding Kosi river has caused is making relief operations look woefully inadequate.

To the people here, floods were something that affected places lying 200-300 km west of where they lived. But because of the breach in the barrage in Nepal resulting in Kosi changing its course, people in the districts of Supaul, Araria, Saharsa and parts of Purnia are witnessing the onrush of a flood that has caught them as well as the district administration completely unawares.

The neighbouring districts of Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Vaishali are now engaged in transporting to the affected areas the relief material they had stacked, anticipating the annual floods which Kosi, had it followed its normal course, would have brought. With many roads cut off by the raging waters, the situation in the flooded districts is slowly developing into a serious humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, villagers continue to flock the relief camps. Just two km from the Janakinagar camp, the flood has left villages completely marooned and severed communication lines. The roads that were visible on Friday were submerged the next day.

As heavy rains continued to lash the area, a large number of people waded through the water, with whatever belongings they could gather, towards Janakinagar camp and further inside Purnia in search for a safer place. Occasionally, one of the vehicles carrying relief workers, media or locals, stopped and handed over small food packets, clothes or even money to a few lucky ones.

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Having lost most of their possessions and completely uncertain about their future, the people here rest their faith in God. 8220;Bhagwan bachayega God will save us,8221; is the assurance Sushila gets from Sanjay, who has taken refuge at the same relief camp. Sushila passes on the optimism to her two sons: 8220;We will get some rice tomorrow.8221; Here, hope is probably the only commodity that is still not in short supply.