Bihar flood victims protest over lack of relief materials

Hundreds of flood victims in Bihar's worst hit Kishanganj and West Champaran district on Wednesday staged protests demanding adequate distribution of relief materials and assistance.

There also were reports of anger among the flood victims in Araria, Katihar, Supaul and East Champaran districts.

After being forced to flee their houses, the flood victims have taken shelter on high rise roads to embankments for the last three days but their patience is running out as neither relief reached them nor officials assured them any help.

A group of more than 300 flood victims have blocked NH 28 in Bagaha in West Champaran, shouted slogan against administration and demanded relief without any delay.

"It is not a question of inadequate assistance. In fact, we have been left unattended by the concerned officials," a flood victim Maheshar Singh said.

In the worst hit Kishanganj, angry flood victims have blocked NH 31 demanding relief.

"Where is relief as claimed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, to top officials. Adequate relief is yet to reach us," flood victim Dinesh Chaand Mahto said.

An unconfirmed report reaching here said a group of flood victims looted a truck carrying food grain in Purnea.

The desperate flood victims also staged protest in Katihar, East Champaran, Supaul and Madhubani demanding adequate relief.

Bihar disaster management department principal secretary Pratyaya Amrit told a portal that after evacuation, the focus is to reach out with adequate relief materials.

"We are providing relief materials, mainly dry ration, including rice, potato, pulse, black gram and match box, to them."

But he noted that due to bad weather in worst flood hit districts, air dropping of relief has become difficult and is a big challenge.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and top officials on Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of the worst affected West Champaran to take stock of the situation.

After the survey, Nitish directed the officials to speed up the rescue and relief operations. The Chief Minister also asked the state health department officials to arrange for medicines and DDT sprays to check outbreak of diseases once the flood water subsided.

Nearly 70 lakh people have been affected by the floods in Bihar and fighting for survival and safety. So far 58 people were killed due to floods in the state. But unconfirmed reports put death toll to 90.

Bihar disaster management department officials said the government has deployed four Army teams, 22 NDRF, 15 SDRF teams in relief and rescue operations in the flood affected districts.

The state government has cancelled the leave of doctors and heath department officials in flood hit districts.

--IANS

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