Marooned on a tractor

When the swirling waters of the Kosi gushed into Bishanpur village in the worst-affected Supaul district on August 19, Laxmi Singh and his family members got on their tractor to escape with whatever foodgrain they could lay their hands on. But just 500 metres on the Forbesganj-Birpur highway and the family discovered that they were marooned. The gushing water had washed away the road both ahead and behind them.

“We are stuck here for the past 10 days with no rescue team reaching here. Our food and water stocks have run out. Our mobiles are working, but they too will fail any moment. Please help us,” a desperate Laxmi Singh told The Indian Express over phone. Along with them, 40 more persons from nearby villages have been marooned at Bishanpur chowk.

Laxmi Singh’s brother Mohan Singh, driver with a senior Delhi lawyer, got in touch with The Indian Express seeking help. “Please do something. There is 8-feet water in the village and it is increasing each day. I have called many people but rescue teams are not reaching here,” said Mohan Singh.

Reports from the affected areas have it that many others like Singh’s family have been marooned in difficult places with National Disaster Response Force evacuation teams yet to reach them. The situation could worsen with heavy rains forecast for the coming days.