Another eye-opening article on Bihar Floods

Caught in deep waters



As government officials and agencies
discuss the flood situation in Bihar, experts and organisations working
in flood affected north Bihar area blame the government's flood control
policies for the state's nightmare.



















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DR DINESH Mishra, fellow at People’s Science Institute recently
released his book on floods in Bihar titled "Trapped Between the Devil
and the Deep waters". The "devil" that Dr. Mishra refers to, is corrupt
government officials who "gain from the almost regular Bihar floods".

This
time the Kosi River nicknamed the "sorrow of Bihar" has devastated the
state as never before. More than two million people in 14 districts of
Bihar have been affected by the Kosi floods. The central government has
sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore for relief operations declaring it a national
calamity. The National Disaster Management Authority has also been
pressed into action in the state. It was reported by the government
that all the marooned persons have been rescued and shifted to safer
locations. Reports from the flood ravaged area, however, point to the
contrary.


Kavindra
Kumar Pandey of the Megh Pyne Abhiyan, which works with the
flood-affected in north Bihar, was recently in the flood ravaged area.
He contends "There is rampant looting and molestation by anti social
groups. The relief camps and food material is also insufficient".


Even the flood management policy of the government has attracted serious
criticism.
"It
is a totally man made flood," says Himanshu Thakar, Delhi coordinator
of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People. "The Kosi has
breached for the eighth time, no doubt that the floods could be
avoided".


Dr
N.C. Saxena, former Secretary of the Planning Commission of India is
critical of the government, both at the Centre as well as in the state
of Bihar. He points out how there is no provision of a third party
monitoring of the state expenditure. "When World Banks provide money,
teams from Washington can come to monitor and survey the expenditure
and its use, but for the government’s money, no one knows where it
goes," he says. "It is not the lack of funds that is affecting relief
operations in Bihar. It is its improper application."


Experts
observe that it does not pay to tamper with the flow of a river that
carries a heavy sediment load. And River Kosi carries a lot of silt
with it. Dr. Mishra gives the example of the Hwang Ho River which has
18 embankments on it. "After breaching for the ninth time, the river
did not return to its original course. Then, they built embankments on
the new course", he mentions.











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"When a heavily silt laden river is embanked, the sediment gets
trapped within the embankments lifting the bed level and necessitating
the raising of the embankments. There is a practical limit to which the
embankments can be raised and maintained."




The
CSI fellow who is considered an expert on Bihar floods also suspects
many have died in the Kosi floods. "The bodies will be covered under
the heavy silt and many would be carried away by the river. No one will
come to know about them as the bodies will not be found," he says.


Addressing
the audience during the official release of his book at India
International Centre he recommends a combined effort. "The layman who
lives on the riverbed, the engineer who works with contours and maps in
his office and the politician who takes decision need to come together
to save Bihar from the devastation", he suggests.

Lt. Col. (Retd.) Bajrang Bihari Singh
Head Administration Apollo International School & Raunaq Public School
Raunaq Education Foundation C/O Apollo Tyres Mobile: 91-9729057707
e-mail:bajrangsin@...  


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