GlobalGiving.org: Help Flood Victims in Bihar

Reaching those in Need

Deepak Kumar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:19:53 GMT

Bihar Flood Village

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Greetings from Bihar.

Thank you for your continuing support.

All over the world when the media spotlight moves away from natural disasters and 24 hour wall to wall TV coverage becomes zero coverage, the victims are left behind. It is depressing how all too often,( not always) the huge sums of money raised by compassionate donations seems to have little effect at the point of need. If you do not mind me saying Bill Gates and other big donors including government aid is all well and good, but why it is not more thoughtful and better balanced?

We understand the Bill Gates foundation has given 90 million dollars over 4 years to the Bihar Government to improve health care provision in just a few districts. We welcome any help given to anybody, but we all know these large scale interventions rarely achieve the desired changes. More thoughtful locally based interventions working with people at the grass roots level with real cooperation and involvement with the actual communities in which they are based often achieve much better and more lasting results with far far less money. We are not saying one approach is by its self wrong, but it is flawed by its singular inflexible approach with policies often determined a very long away from the point of need.

GlobalGiving enables individuals with its carefully vetted and tracked projects to get funds to such grass roots organisations that have a very real positive effect directly on People’s Lives.

We have been able, as previous project reports have pointed out been able to engage local people directly in making their homes safer, to provide replacement livestock or cheap loans to start small business, and given out relief materials directly to people in need of them.

We will leave these communities stronger and more equipped to deal with the threat of flooding than even before. With your hep we will be able to continue this important work.

We thank you for your kindness and the next report will include a personal story from just one family , typical of many that we have been able to assist due to your generosity.

With Thanks and Warm best Wishes,

Deepak

Links:

After the monsoon life goes on

Deepak Kumar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:30:00 GMT

Meeting Immediate Needs

Dear Friends and Supporters,

First I would like to report that the monsoon in all parts of Bihar was normal this year, after two consecutive years of drought in South Bihar.

In North Bihar of course the floods are an annual occurrence, but things are improving. This is not to diminish the suffering of hundreds of displaced families and unfortunately there were deaths this year. Over 100 people lost their lives due to flooding.

As you know from our last report I visited the flood areas to supervise the donation of items of immediate need. Throughout the flood season due to your generosity this work continued bringing much needed relief to many families.

The new Bihar Administration under Nitish Kumar has improved disaster response units, the management of water has improved, and embankments have been strengthened.

However our work is much more micro in nature directly reaching those in need at a local level, something that many times the government struggles to do effectively. In the past (there are still current cases pending in the courts) huge sums of relief money were stolen by corrupt individuals and government officers, hopefully this now a thing of the past.

There is often much the villagers can do for themselves though by strengthening their own village flood defences at a local level, building raised safe shelters and planning together as a community how they can prepare for the monsoon as a community. This we can, and do assist with, along with the relief materials and the donation of replacement animals,plus loans for small new income raising enterprises has made a difference, and improved, and probably saved many lives.

Here is a news report from September 29^th 2011

Patna, Sep 29 (PTI) With major rivers maintaining their rising trend, the flood situation worsened today in Bihar where 89 rpt 89 people have lost their lives due to it since the beginning of monsoon this year. Disaster management department sources said the situation had worsened in Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts following heavy rains in the catchment areas in Bihar and Nepal of the Adhwara group of rivers flowing through them.

Official sources said 100 villages were submerged as the river embankment eroded at Awapur in Sitamarhi district forcing thousands of people have taken shelter in high areas. Flood waters of Bagmati river damaged 681 houses at Bairginiyans and also submerged NH 77 in the district, the sources said. In Darbhanga district Kamala Balan river breached its Maharji embankment in a stretch of 300 feet, while Bagmati has inunadated more than 200 villages, they said. Central Water Commission sources said the flood waters of Ganga was receding though its water level has crossed the danger mark at some points. The river is flowing 38 cm above the danger mark at Gandhi Ghat here and 27 cm above the danger mark at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur. The water level of Sone river is 23 cm above the danger mark at Maner here, while Punpun river is flowing 257 cm above the red mark at Sripalpur, the sources said. .

You can see the effect of the floods this year in several films posted on you tube, just search Bihar floods 2011.

Again we thank you so much for your support for these very poor communities.

You can follow our work at

www.peoplefirstindia.net.

Click on the buttons on or home page for our Twitter and Facebook pages.

With Best Wishes,

Deepak Kumar

Village Home

Links:

Rivers Reaching Danger Levels

Deepak Kumar — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:17:15 GMT

Hundreds of villages in Bhagalpur, Munger, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, Madhepura and Bagaha districts face threats due to the increased water levels.

"Water has already entered dozens of villages. Rising water level in Kosi river is giving sleepless nights to people," an official of the water resources department told IANS.

He said the water levels of rivers have been rising to dangerous levels at several places. "It is a dangerous sign." Reports suggests that hundreds of people have been asked to shift to safer areas by the authorities.

The state government has asked engineers and district officials to keep a 24-hour vigil.

According to the Central Water Commission, the water level in Ganges crossed the red mark at several places in Bhagalpur, Patna, Begusarai and Farakka. Similarly, the Kosi was flowing above the danger mark at Bausa, Baltara and Kursela, and Mahananda at Dhengraghat and Jhada.

We are in the process of preparing more relief materials to rush to the affected areas and the supplies will go with a four wheel SUV to reach as far into the flooded villages as we can. Transport of this kind, plus boats of course are very much needed to reach people in need and we are doing all we can.

Thanks to your support we can get emergency supplies including life saving clean drinking water and purifying tablets, high energy biscuits , cattle feed and medical help to villagers who are once again in danger of losing their homes.

Deepak Kumar

Making sure help gets to those who need it

Deepak Kumar — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:25:51 GMT

Deepak in the flooded fields of North Bihar

As promised here is an update of our work helping those affected by flooding in North Bihar.

As you know we do not work in the flood affected areas, but we are able to help in the most effective way by working at village level with very small grass roots organizations located within these stricken communities.

Long term assistance includes loans and grants to start up small business, the gift of animals, the strengthening of defenses at a local level, helping make village dwellings stronger and ensuring access to basic medical care.

I traveled personally to supervise the distribution of much needed aid materials; again it seems the government is slow to respond to urgently needed aid.

These people although there has been work to secure flood defenses live in daily fear of losing their homes, their livestock and even their lives.

They are teetering on the brink of another major disaster. Let us hope and pray this time it can be averted.

I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for this worthy cause,

Please our website and Facebook page, the links are below.

With best wishes to you and thanks,

Deepak

Aid including mosquito nets to prevent malaria

Links:

Floods are Back

Deepak Kumar — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:44:36 GMT

Progress Report

Firstly may I apologize to our supporters for posting this report late, in fact this is the first report submitted to Global Giving which was not timely. There was however a reason. The Monsoon rains have come, better than last year so far in the south of Bihar which has had a two year drought, but in the north already 100 villages have been flooded.. Because the area of the flooding is outside our normal project area we were waiting for reports as our staff placed in these areas responded,

See the following press report,

Patna: Hundreds of people in Bihar have been forced to abandon their homes as flood waters entered nearly 100 villages and rising levels of most rivers threatened to inundate many others, officials said on Saturday.
All the inundated villages were in flood-prone districts of Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Purnia, Araria, Saharsa, Madhepura and Bagaha, officials said.
"Water entered these villages after levels rose in all the major rivers following heavy rains in the state and the catchment areas of Nepal," a water resource department official said.
According to the Central Water Commission, the water level in major rivers - Kosi, Mahananda, Gandak, Budhi Gandak, and Bagmati - has increased since Friday.

Kosi and Bagmati are flowing above danger mark at some places. "All the rivers are in full spate following heavy rains. Some rivers may cross the red mark late Saturday or Sunday," an official said.
Officials said that after two consecutive years of drought, the fear of floods is back in Bihar with incessant rains and heavy water discharge into the Kosi river from Nepal.
However, Bihar Water Resources Development Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said all embankments were safe and there was no need to panic. "The government is fully ready to face any eventuality if water level in rivers create threat," he told IANS.
Choudhary said the government has taken full preparatory measures to protect embankments, but conceded that several villages in flood-prone districts face threats due to the increased water levels.
Reports suggested that the authorities have asked hundreds of people to shift to safer places following the rising water level of the Kosi. The state government has asked engineers and district officials to keep a 24-hour vigil.
Choudhary said the eastern Kosi embankment, which had breached in 2008, flooding five districts of northern Bihar, was totally safe. "We are taking care of it. There is no need to panic."
In 2008, over three million people were rendered homeless in Bihar when the Kosi river breached its bank upstream in Nepal and changed course. It was said to be the worst flood in the state in the last 50 years.
According to the water resources department, a lot of water has been discharged into the Kosi in the last few days after heavy rains in Nepal since Monday.

So once again with our local partners we are distributing humanitarian aid, blankets and medicines, water sterilising tablets and doing what we can to strengthen and save homes.There has been strengthening of the embankments, improved drainage in villages and other improvements in many villagers in the area, some with government assistance, but mostly by NGO's so it our hope these measures and others which we have been working on throught the year will prevent a full scale disaster and save many lives.

You will not have to wait 12 weeks for the next report, it will contain photographs of the work in progress and will be published within 14 days. I personally am visiting the area very soon as our contacts in the media inform us once again the government is slow to react in providing much needed assistance .

Once again thanks for your support

In my own words

Updendra Kumar — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:05:44 GMT

But there is still great poverty in our village

I am a villager living near the banks of the Kosi River.

My Name is Updendra Kumar and I have a family of six children

We lost everything in the floods, our house and animals, but so many others died.

The waters still come every year but we can hope and pray things are getting better.

After and during the floods so many came to help us, but they did not stay.

Things have improved though, with the help of people who have committed themselves to support us and help us rebuild our lives. We have received animals to replenish our stock to help feed our children; we took a very small loan already repaid to enable my wife to start a small shop. Our children are back at school.

We have been able to strengthen our house, to make it safer for my family. I personally know so many others who have also received help.

In my experience it is the people from the small NGO’s that really care about us, but we have seen at last the government doing something to strengthen the barriers and help prevent this annual misery.

We are so grateful; all we want is our destiny in our own hands, with the help we have received we are on the way to a new and better life.

I have heard on the radio about the situation in Japan, my heart goes out to them as we know what it is like to lose everything.

Translated from Hindi, but is unedited

HELPING TO CHANGE LIVES FOR THE BETTER

Deepak Kumar — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:12:13 GMT

May I send my very best wishes and thanks to the generous supporters of this important project, along with warm best compliments of the season to you and your familes.

I am pleased to bring you this latest progress report.

Changing the condtion and lives of the poor for the better in the long term takes care planning and resolve but primarily must of course involve those affected every step of the way. This has always been the People First approach because as a small grassroots NGO with years of experience we know the areas in which we can be effective, and can directly help people and thier communities in a way that larger organisations or governments sometimes find difficult.

It is not our intention to crticise others, in many ways government is doing what it can, there is no doubt improvements have been made, but we include the following press report without further comment from the Times of India from July this year,

New Delhi, July 23: In another blow to the Bihar administration, the latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report released on Friday has found major irregularities in delivering food grains of over 3,000 quintals, meant for the flood-affected in the state.

The report stated that while on paper it was shown that these food grains were transported for the flood-affected, the audit report reveals that majority of such trucks (through which the foodgrains were transported) did not exist.

The registration numbers mentioned by the district officials in the records books were those of motorcycles and jeeps. The report “apprehends that the government claim of transporting the grain to the flood-affected areas never happened, since the registration numbers of the trucks in the record books appeared to be fake.”

The report suspects that “3115.65 quintal food grains for the flood victims have been misappropriated.”

The report stated that during February 2009, foodgrains for the flood victims were picked up from Mansi railway station.

The government record showed that the foodgrains were lifted by trucks and kept at the godowns at Khagaria, from where they were later distributed to the flood-affected areas.

However, “when checked it was found that majority of the trucks with the registration numbers mentioned in the record books did not exist and others belonged to motorcycles, scooters, jeeps etc...”

The report stated: Following the enquiry, it was being apprehended that the government claim of despatching those foodgrains to the flood hit zones never happened. It is being suspected that 3111.65 quintals of foodgrains have been misappropriated.”

So what have we been doing to help?

The region is still overwhelmingly covered with sand carried by the flood waters,but sparse vegetation has started

We have been distributing through our partners, seeds, seedlings, animals and food stuffs, supporting micro credit and small scale income raising initiatives, helping people build more solid homes and supporting education initiatives.

Our next report will include the latest photographs of work in progress plus a slideshow will be uploaded onto our website.

Once again our heartfelt gratitude for your support,

The Rivers of Sorrow

Deepak Kumar — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 10:32:14 GMT

Floods again

This, from the Hindustan newspaper, Sept 17th Gandak river breaches banks, 2.5 lakh homeless Late Wednesday night, the waters of the heavily swollen Gandak River— flowing from Nepal— began seeping into six villages of Bihar’s Gopalganj district. The waters were ankle-deep. By Thursday morning, the water level in these villages had risen waist-high, triggering panic among residents and villagers State water resources department officials had warned that 14 lakh people in the three north Bihar districts of Gopalganj, Saran and Siwan would be affected if the river breached its embankment in Gopalganj. Since Wednesday, 2, 50,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit and vulnerable areas. They have started reaching relief centers set up by the disaster management department in More than 520 people had died in the Kosi floods in north Bihar in August 2008 when the river had breached its embankments near Kusaha in Nepal You can feel that flood prevention measures and government response are inadequate, but it is the poor who cannot leave their land who are suffering yet again. As always it is the women and children who often beat the brunt of such suffering. It can be said although many have died perhaps the death toll is lower because of improved preventative work but the situation is still incredibly bad on the ground.

With our partners in the flood area we are distributing milk, animal feed blankets and medicines. We are doing what we can.

UNICEF is rushing supplies to the area but we do not yet know how effectively they will be distributed on the ground. And in the South of the same state drought has been declared.

May God have mercy on Bihar.

Starting on October 12, www.GlobalGiving.org is matching at all donations at 30%, 40%, or 50%. The match percentage is based on the size of the donation. Up to $500 30% Up to $1000 40% and $1000 to 2,500 50%

There is $100,000 available in matching funds. The campaign will run until Oct 21 or until matching funds run out.

Thank you so much for your support.

NO END TO FLOOD MISERY IN NORTH BIHAR

Deepak Kumar — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:34:45 GMT

Whilst South Bihar reels under the effects of a severe drought once again in North Bihar the floods are causing havoc. Thanks to your generosity we have been able to offer immediate assistance working closely with small and grass roots organisations. This has included medicines, clean water, blankets and food. This help is going directly to people in urgent and desperate need.

Please find below a report from IBN, an Indian news channel

Patna, Aug 31 (PTI) Around one million people continue to reel under the impact of recent floods in eight districts of Bihar where 39 people have so far died, while there is no let up in the situation with major rivers in the spate. According to Disaster Management Department Control room's bulletin issued today, the floods have so far claimed 39 lives during the past over one month. While 28 people met their watery grave as boats sank in rivers in different places in these flood-hit districts, 11 were drowned in the flash floods caused by swollen rivers, the bulletin said. Around one million people continued to reel under the impact of the floods in 462 villages spread over 193 panchayats in the districts of Gopalganj, Saharsa, Supaul, Muzaffarpur, Katihar, Madhubani, Purnia and West Champaran, official sources said. The authorities have as on date made available 6,613 quintals of rice/wheat, distributed cash worth Rs 25.03 lakh, match boxes numbering around 20,000, besides 12,705 metres of polythene sheets to the affected people in the districts, they said. The Central Water Commission sources said most rivers in Bihar were flowing above the danger level in various places along their course in Bihar. While Ganga was flowing 15 cm, 27 cm, 52 cm and 67 cm above the danger mark at Gandhighat, Kahalgaon, Sahebganj and Farakka respectively, Ghaghra's water level was 14 cm and 36 cm above the danger mark at Barauli and Bhangpursiswan. Similarly, Burhi Gandak was flowing 15 cm above the red mark at Khagaria, while Bagmati was flowing 79 cm above the danger level at Hayaghat and Kosi 38 cm, 120 cm and 48 cm above the danger mark at Basua, Baltara and Kursela districts in Bihar, the commission said.

ANOTHER YEAR AND FLOODS AGAIN

Nick Hansen — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:11:56 GMT

God Help Bihar.

With Drought in the South and Floods in the North, freezing winters and red hot summers the state does seem to get the worst of all weathers. Huge improvement works are needed in flood relief schemes and embankments are needed, obvouisly engineering on a scale way beyond the capacity of a NGO. But can we can do is help to relieve the suffering by providing animals to families, to help strengthen and raise thier houses, to give loans for tea stalls and small shops so they can provide for thier families, And help villagers defend thier homes and communities by building ditches and earthbanks. We can give medicine to children, we can provide clean water to help stop the spread of illness and your support can help so much as it is used directly and immediately in the affected communities.

This press report is from today July 15th

Thousands of people in Bihar fled their homes on Wednesday as floodwaters entered over 100 villages and threatened to inundate many others. Nearly 100 villages in Aurai, Katra and Gaighat blocks of Muzaffarpur have been inundated since Monday. Water also entered dozens of villages in Bagaha district after levels rose in all the major rivers

According to the Central Water Commission, the water level in major rivers Kosi, Gandak, Budhi Gandak, Kamlabalan, Adhwara and Bagmati has increased in the last 48 hours.

"All the rivers are in full spate following heavy rains. Some rivers may cross the red mark late Wednesday or Thursday," an official said. Reports reaching here said people were fleeing their homes in Muzaffarpur, Bagaha, Saharsa and Purnea districts. Heavy rains reportedly damaged embankments in Muzaffarpur and Bagaha. The district officials have initiated the move to check erosion," said an official of the water resources department

More water is expected to enter the villages as the embankment of the Bagmati river in Muzaffarpur and the Gandak in Bagaha have been threatened. The rising water level in rivers is putting pressure on embankments. "All engineers have been directed to be ready with necessary equipment and boulders to face any situation and to protect the embankments," an engineer said. In 2008, more than three million people were rendered homeless in Bihar when the Kosi river breached its bank upstream in Nepal and changed course. It was said to be the worst flood in Bihar in the last 50 years.

The need for Non Governmental Organisations

Times of India — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:12:14 GMT

It is not our intention of course to comment on the actions or inactions of government. We wish to cooperate with everyone, especially at local level. Whilst not strictly a progress report the newspaper article below is self explanatory and we are posting it to demonstrate the important role that NGOs have to play in disaster relief in the flood affected areas . We would to once again like to thank you for your support as we prepare with local communities for the upcoming monsoon. A more detailed report with details of our work will be posted very soon.

FLOOD RELIEF FUNDS LYING UNUSED AND UNUTILISED RETURNED TO GUJARAT A week after he threatened to return the "unutilised money" to Gujarat, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned Rs 5 crore, which was given by the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi for Kosi flood relief in 2008 to the state, on Saturday. Disaster Management Minister Divesh Chand Thakur told rediff.com over telephone that the Bihar government had returned the "unutilised money" to Gujarat. "The state government has returned the Rs 5 crore (over one million US dollars) to Gujarat government. There was nothing surprising in it as the government was working on it," Thaskur said. On June 12, Nitish had threatened on the first day of the Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive meeting in Patna to return the amount to Modi after a Gujarat government's advertisement published in local newspapers boasted of its "liberal donation to Bihar during the 2008 Kosi floods". He also cancelled a dinner organised for the top brass of the BJP to convey his disapproval about the advertisement featuring him with Modi. Nitish had said that the Gujarat government's claim (on flood relief) was uncivilised and against Indian culture. "Nobody claims of bestowing favours on those who face tragedy caused by natural calamities," he had said. He said he did not know the exact amount contributed to the relief fund by Gujarat. "I will go through the details and immediately return the money received from Modi which was lying unspent in the CM's relief fund," Nitish had then said. He also took strong exception to the use of his photograph with Modi in another advertisement published in local dailies. Kumar even threatened to take legal action against those responsible for it. The Janata Dal-United leader has always kept himself at a distance from Modi, due to the latter's alleged role in the communal carnage in Gujarat in 2002, and avoided sharing any public platform with Modi in Bihar.

Help still very much needed

Nick Hansen — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:48:47 GMT

Have you noticed how when a disaster happens anywhere in the world every TV News channel gives it wall to wall saturation coverage only for the demands of instant 24 hour coverage to replace it with something else and the disaster is hardly heard of again. But the people affected need long term consistent help, long after the cameras have left and attention shifted from thier plight.

Global Giving helps very much in keeping the needs of disaster affected people in peoples minds.

If Bihar was a country it would be the sixth poorest in the world. the North suffers from annual floods, as the rivers in the Himalyas to the north empty in the plains. South of the ganges, droughts are common and there is a chronic shortage of clean water.

Working closely with local communities we have helped villagers build raised concrete flood shelters, to keep thier familes and thier animals safe in times of high water. The monsoon is approaching again.

Medicines have been distributed and the installation of new deep water pumps in flood affected villages has given acces to clean water.The provision of animals to families to give them a source of income, and the replacement of mud walls with brick are all important measures.

Grants for very small but important micro enterprises even something as simple as a small shop can change lives for the better by providing a family with a source of income.

And also providing technical assistance at a village level to build natural barriers around low lying land, and to build plnths for houses raising them above flood levels are all effective preventative measures for the future.

Another update with photographs will follow within four weeks.

Thank you for your wonderfull support and these forgotten people really do need and appreciate your help.

We also intend to update our website with details of our flood relief work in the near future,

www.peoplefirstindia.net

WORK GOES ON

Nick Hansen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:54:17 GMT

The situation in the flood area remains grim We are distributing Blankets to the worst affected through our winter warmth appeal, (see save a childs life this winter). progress and government assistance in providing new housing remains slow but we are doing what we can to help people get the help they need.

THE LATEST FLOOD SITUATION

Nick Hansen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:26:36 GMT

Patna, Aug 26 (PTI) With seven more deaths reported from across Bihar, the toll due to floods in the state mounted to 23 today.

Three deaths were reported in Darbhanga, two in Muzaffarpur and one each in Sitamarhi and Supaul since last evening.

Darbhanga alone claimed the maximum 10 deaths followed by Muzaffarpur (six) two each in Purnia, Kishanganj, Sitamarhi and one in Supaul, an official at the state disaster management cell said today.

Around one million people of 11 districts -- Darbhanga, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, Supaul, Madehpura, Katihar, Araria and Purnia -- have been affected due to the floods.

According to a report from Darbhanga, over 100 villages spread over 13 blocks in Darbhanga were reeling under swirling waters.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas tomorrow.

Help rushed to flood areas

Times of India — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:12:31 GMT

PATNA: AUGUST 2009

Around one hundred thousand people were affected as the swollen Bagmati breached its embankment near Tajpur in Bihar's Sitamarhi district on Saturday, prompting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to order a high-level probe into the breach and deployment of National Disaster Response Force personnel.

The river breached its embankment in a stretch of 40 - 50 metres at Tajpur under the Runnisayedpur block, inundating vast areas and several villages in eight panchayats of the district, official sources said.

As reports of swirling waters of Bagmati breaching the embankment reached him, Kumar held a high-level meeting with state Water Resources minister Vijendra Yadav, Principal Secretary (Water Resources) M R Nayak, besides Principal Secretary (Disaster Management) and other senior officials. He ordered immediate deployment of NDRF in the affected areas to step up relief and rescue operations, an official spokesman said.

The NDRF personnel would reach the site within hours with necessary equipment, the spokesman said.

Kumar said the breach repair works were being carried out by the experts, including the engineers of the flood-fighting cells, on a "war-footing".

An estimated one lakh people were hit by the floods, the sources said, adding reports of four to five children being swept away in the swift currents were being verified.

Road communication between Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi was likely to be affected as flood waters submerged the National Highway near Koati, about 17 km from here, they said.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that the breach occurred due to digging near the embankment last night and the river swelled over a period of time .because of sharp erosions.

Flood fighting continued at the breach-site and the engineers expected to plug the breach shortly, they said.

Divisional Commissioner, Tirhut, S M Raju, District Magistrate Sitamarhi and other senior officials reached the spot to oversee the relief and rescue operations.

The Water Resources Minister accompanied by Principal Secretary of the department and disaster management officials, air dashed to Sitamarhi to take stock of the situation. The victims had never thought that life after being rescued from the flood waters would become so difficult. ‘‘Babu, hum logon ko dekhne wala koi nahin (there’s no one to look after us),’’ says Anju Devi, 38, Both the Central and state governments have failed to provide adequate succour to Kosi flood victims.

That they have been left to fend for themselves after PM Manmohan Singh described the Kosi flood as a national disaster, is all the more galling. Initially, the state government set up mega relief camps. But, these did not last beyond a month. Although district officials have repeatedly refuted the charge of driving the flood victims out of the relief camps and claimed that the camp inmates vacated the camps ‘‘voluntarily’’, eyewitnesses at Saharsa claimed that the administration had stopped giving them food and asked them to return where ‘‘government relief’’ was being given.