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30 June 2003 by Pooja Saxena in Delhi There is a saying in the northern Indian state of Bihar: "the monsoon may forget to visit Bihar, but not the floods." Rajua, a landless labourer, is one of those for whom the floods have been a routine catastrophe. “There is no stability in our lives,” he says. “Every year we make houses of bamboos, and every year they are washed away by the floods. Nobody helps us to find a permanent solution to our problem." This year, it has been no different, with at least six people already losing their lives. In total, some 100,000 people in six districts have been affected by floods. Communications here has been severely disrupted, with the districts of Sitamarhi and Sheohar completely cut off from adjoining areas. The district Red Cross branch is on maximum alert and Red Cross Volunteers are engaged in rescue operations, helping thousands of people marooned in rural areas and distributing food to people who have moved to makeshift accommodation on higher ground. The rivers that inundate north Bihar emanate from the lower reaches of Himalayas in Nepal. Similarly, the biggest river of south Bihar with flood potential, the River Sone, originates in Madhya Pradesh and is joined by hundreds of tributaries as it passes through the states of Jharkand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The real seriousness of the situation lies in the fact that all the rivers, whether from the north or south, discharge themselves into the River Ganges, which normally bursts its banks on the territory of Bihar during the monsoon season. The pressures created by a growing population and development needs are leading to an unprecedented degradation of the environment. Natural barriers created by ridges, trees and other vegetation are rapidly being destroyed. The result is that rainwater in catchment areas rushes onto the plains of Bihar, bringing with it huge quantities of silt mud. Often the silting up of river beds diverts water through the settlements. Khajuria says he has been a victim of the floods and the misery it brings ever since childhood. But this 35-year-old father of three believes the situation has got worse over the years – now his wife is fighting for her life, the victim of a deadly water-borne disease. As well as forcing millions to flee their homes for safer ground, the floods disrupt communications, making affected areas inaccessible for relief and medical supplies. The floods also have a major impact on the longer-term socio-economic life of communities. They are exposed to deteriorating sanitary conditions, and a lack of safe drinking water and hygiene. The risk of epidemics increases, as does that of snake bites. It is a situation the Indian Red Cross Society sought to address ahead of the current flooding. Through its Bihar State Branch, it distributed 20,000 family packages consisting of food and non-food items. Around 30,000 hygiene kits have also been handed out over a period of three months. Emergency Health Kits and Cholera Kits have been distributed to 10 different locations in the seven most affected districts of the state. These areas were reported to have the highest number of malaria and diarrhoea cases. "The beneficiaries of the programme treasure their kitchen utensils, as they had never seen such stuff in their lives. They are overwhelmed by the family packages," says Kranti Devi, a resident of Khagaria district and an active Red Cross volunteer. Following the dispatch of two million water purification tablets from Delhi, the local Red Cross branch last September distributed 1.5 million to around 150,000 families. Along with this, around 300 previously submerged water pumps and wells have been disinfected in the affected districts. Billu, a boy of eleven, expresses his joy and sorrow: "I wish we could have these water purification tablets before my father fell victim to diarrhoea, and finally lost his life." Related links: Disaster preparedness Responding to floods India: appeals, updates and reports Indian Red Cross Society Make a donation |
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