Help Flood Victims in Bihar

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.