The disaster management force of Bihar




Amitabh Srivastava

Patna,  September 18, 2008
 
Read the article on;
http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1555\
7&sectionid=4&issueid=71&Itemid=1
 
Some Extracts:
 
A day before, while on a whirlwind  tour to flood affected districts, Singh had
found no breakfast in one of the relief camps set up for flood victims. Time to
give the DM some boot.
 
The phone beeps, the district magistrate is on line. "Why? Where is the
scarcity?" Singh hisses, before adding "please ensure breakfast is served to all
relief camps." He hangs up but not before deciding to put the lapse on record. 
 
A minute later, he is busy dictating letter number 266 to the district
magistrates of the five flood affected districts of Araria, Supaul, Madhepura,
Saharsa and Purnia. It reads-"ensure breakfast to every flood victim, set up
more kitchens in every camp, pay the victims who help prepare food, change menu
periodically and spend Rs 1000 to purchase musical instruments for each relief
camps. No half-measures, we are dealing with the biggest evacuation of all
times."
 
A month before, there was nobody interested what the disaster management was
doing. Today all roads in Bihar seemingly lead to this room. That's obvious
after the Kosi breached Kusaha embankment in Nepal on August 18, and picked a
new channel- submerging over 1000 Bihar villages-that it had abandoned over 100
years ago.
 
A UNICEF team arrives, seeking approval for therapeutic feeding of affected kids
putting up in the Relief camps. Sanction granted, and in 10 minute time Amrit
picks up the phone and asks all district magistrates to do the needful.  This
is perhaps the fastest decision making government machinery across the country.


 


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