Army helps as desperation mounts in flood-hit India
(September 1, 2008) The Indian army and navy stepped up efforts on Monday to rescue
hundreds of thousands of people marooned by floods and facing severe shortages of
food in the east of the country. Some villagers have been living on rooftops for days,
while others are eating plants and leaves after exhausting food stocks. Aid agencies
said the government of the impoverished state of Bihar should have done more to anticipate
the disaster and plan relief operations in a region hit by monsoon flooding every
year. "Lessons from the past disasters should be kept in mind while planning response,"
ActionAid said in a statement. "A long-term comprehensive response is necessary to
deal with relief, recovery and disaster preparedness." Three million people have been
displaced from their homes and at least 90 killed by floods, officials say, after
the Kosi river burst a dam in Nepal, swamping hundreds of villages in Bihar and destroying
100,000 ha (250,000 acres) of farmlands. Hundreds of boats are being used to evacuate
people but more are needed, while heavy rains over the past few days have hampered
rescue and relief operations, officials said. "Such is the extent of devastation that
the forces deployed are proving too small," Pratyay Amrit, a senior state disaster
management official, said on Monday. The army, which had already deployed five columns
of around120 men, sent in another 14, officials said on Monday, whilethree naval companies
were also asked to help. The situation on the ground is getting desperate. "We don't
have any more food grain stocks left, and me and my family are all chewing plants
and leaves to stay alive," Mohan Sharma said by telephone from Supaul district. Television
pictures showed people fighting to get places in boats, as soldiers in life jackets
tried to restore order. Over 467,000 people have been evacuated so far, but there
are thousands still marooned. Activists and local media say the death toll could be
many times higher than official estimates. Some experts have blamed the floods on
heavier monsoon rains caused by global warming, while others say authorities have
failed to take preventive measures and improve infrastructure.