Marooned Bihar seeks help from other states

The Bihar Government today admitted that they were caught off guard by the magnitude of the flood that has struck the state even as the situation worsened, inundating 500 additional villages in the last 24 hours.

The Bihar Government today admitted that they were caught off guard by the magnitude of the flood that has struck the state even as the situation worsened, inundating 500 additional villages in the last 24 hours.

Disaster Management Secretary Manoj Kumar Srivastava said they have knocked the door of other states for immediate supply of polythene sheets and was rushing boats from other districts to the affected areas for relief and rescue operations. “We are loading boats in trucks from other districts and dispatching it to the affected regions,” he said.

Reports from districts have it that relief and rescue operations were tardy due to lack of essential materials. Several District Magistrates of flood-affected districts have pressed the panic button while stressing that they do not have adequate boats to rescue the marooned population nor enough materials to distribute relief. There is shortage of polythene sheets, one of the most essential relief materials, and the state government is contacting other states for it. “We have relaxed purchase rules and placed orders. But it will take some time, so we are looking at other sources for immediate arrangements,” said Srivastava.

This happened despite the fact that funds for flood preparedness was allotted to all the vulnerable districts well in advance. Srivastava said that funds were allotted in April itself. He, however, defended the inadequate relief and rescue operation by saying the floods were unprecedented.

The flood situation has already taken a political turn particularly due to the absence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in this crisis moment. Kumar, along with a team of ministers and bureaucrats, is on a week long goodwill visit to Mauritius. And former CM and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts.

Meanwhile, the Government today implemented the revised relief package announced by the Centre and said that it would be implemented with effect from June 27. Srivastava said under the new package, relief amounts have almost been doubled.