Kosi flood victims' struggle for survival

The Bihar government has closed down all relief camps across the flood-affected districts of Bihar. Thirty lakh people who had sought shelter in the camps are now back home.

Five months after the Kosi floods devastated most of north Bihar, there are still about ten villages in the region where road connectivity has not been restored. Taking boats, and then walking for many kilometers, is the only way of getting to those villages.

Feroze Ahmed a cab driver from Gurgaon near Delhi went to visit his parents in Chatapur in August, when the flood waters submerged his village.

"I am living off what I earned in Gurgaon. Relief has also come in, and I am living off both these things," said Feroze.

Chatapur was under water till December last year. The relief camp is closed down now. The villagers say government's relief material should last them for about two months. But they won't be able to get back to their fields with most of them still under water for at least a year.

"What can we ask from the government? If they help us, we will live. If they don't, we will die here. Who are we to order the government. It is all up to the government," said Jadunandan Yadav a farmer of Chatapur.

The challenge before the government, is to come up with some alternative sources of employment for those people, at least till the time the fields dry up, and become productive once again.

Villagers take up whatever work they get. NGOs are pitching in with alternate employment. For instance, in Charra Patti village women are taught to make blankets.

"Out of the three blankets that they make, we take one from them and let them keep two. In the future, we will start buying these blankets from them," said Arvind Kumar, Coordinator of Goonj, Saharsa.

Thirty-five lakh people were affected by the curse of the Kosi. The river has calmed down now. But it will be a while before the people can get their lives back.

Source : ndtv.com