Balajee Report

Dear Madad Bihar Friends,

Your sustained interest and support is slowly changing the tide. People are recognizing the scale of the disaster.

I got back a few days ago from Bihar and have prepared a detailed report of what I saw as well as the plans AID INDIA, Pratham and Goonj have together made for scaling up our relief efforts.

We will continue to need more help from you to reach out further. You can find out more updates on the work in progress on our website: www.eurekachild.org

I have attached a pdf version of the report with this email. Please forward it to others who can support the relief efforts as well.

Thanks
Balaji Sampath
for AID INDIA, Pratham, Goonj

KOSI CALAMITY-RAVAGED DISTRICTS OF BIHAR

BACKGROUND:

The devastating calamity in the Purnia, Areria, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura,
Bhagalpur, Khagaria and Katihar districts of Bihar have led to impacts of an
unprecedented scale and it would, of course, take a long time before some
normalcy returns back to the shattered and endangered lives of the people and
animals. Of particular concern is the serious impacts on the health that has
been caused due to the swelling and spreading Koshi waters, and the grave
concerns that might arise, if adequate preventive and curative measures are not
taken in time.

LACK OF FOOD, NUTRITION AND IMPACT ON HEALTH:

To begin with, before one goes into the medical condition of people, it is
expedient to objectively understand the nutritional impacts that the flooding
of the hundreds of villages has had on the thousands of people. The State
Government having woken up to the reality, realizing the vast scale of the
people marooned, with lands/houses submerged and even villages submerged in the
Koshi waters, very late and initiated half-cooked 'disaster management'
even later, thousands of people remained stranded and starving in the villages.


In the 15-18 days preceding the arrival of the army and navy boats for rescue,
the people had become famished and weak, having exhausted their limited food
stocks. Women, children and elders especially have become quite feeble.
Nutrition being a pre-requisite for good health, this basic requirement was and
is being violated by the State through its inaction.

We are yet to obtain clear break-up details of how much of the Central grant of
food grains has actually been disbursed and has reached the people. Also, how
much grain provision the Bihar Government has made for the affected. Be this
as it may, the ground reality is that at many camps, even a single rice meal
was eagerly awaited, till late. Quite a few people, as we heard, are saturated
of having to consume the same chivda (dried puffed rice), which, in any case,
is not a nourishing and wholesome meal, particularly when consumed as part of
the main meal course, regularly. One witnesses numerous relief camps, where
adequate quantities of food grains have not yet reached. Why is this situation
persisting despite the Centre having announced food grains relief to the tune
of 1.25 lakh tones? Why is not the State Government giving support?

Even now at many relief camps, the same food is routinely served to everyone,
of all ages. There is no consideration of the special dietary requirement of
children, elders or pregnant and lactating women. The National Calamity Relief
Norms also mandates that children, pregnant and lactating women and adolescent
girls must be provided all nutritional support as per the ICDS standards. The
ICDS norms for the calamity affected is only a wish-list , at the most.
Therefore, when, people are coming out from the interiors, they are in a dire
state of under-nutrition and the most necessary task would be to assess their
nutritional requirements at the earliest, preferably at the rescue points and
make available a suitable nutritional-diet response, coupled with medical
attention and care as that person would require. Without assessing and
addressing the nutritional condition, no further medication can happen.
The four hours we spent at Pratapganj rescue point, Saharsa district brought to
us a realization of the inhuman condition in which the rescue was handled. Once
the family, reached the bank either after hours of walk (since water has
receded a little) or through boat, they had to find their own way. Only if a
person, collapsed, he was taken to the Army doctor, only one available. We have
to be after, to ensure treatment was followed up with the referral, relatives
were sent along. ....

The rest of the families were not even properly guided about where to go, even
when tractors, trucks were kept standing in a beeline...it was by chance that
they would know about the free service. What to talk of food to be served,
except a packet they might receive from an NGO (not all did), electrical
suppliers association, present then, they would get noting to satiate hunger.
What to talk of health care? Women were clearly suffering from skin diseases.
When our boat reached Rahta two days ago, on the 12th of September with Ashish
Mandloi from NBA, and Sant and Verma of Shilpi Kendra, there were dead bodies
found and carcasses of cattle strewn all over. There is no arrangement for
taking out dead bodies, which was complained to us by the army officials as
well. We had conveyed this to the District Magistrate, Purnia, on the September
8th night, when a large delegation of ours with IMA doctors, and volunteers
from Orissa, as well our local Committee members and Convener had met the DM.
But assurances of taking care have remained unrealized. There is also no
honest estimate of how many of the dead, actually succumbed due to starvation
or lack of timely medication.

MEDICAL AND HEALTH CONDITION:

The nutritional status after 15-20 days of hunger and severe mal-nourishment is
unrecorded, the medical condition also, in many cases, remains undocumented.
Many people, who are even sick or are suffering various ailments are routinely
and callously sent to camps after the rescue, which is simply unacceptable. It
is needless to over-stress the importance of timely medication and if necessary
prompt hospitalization, after prolonged starvation and neglect.

Take for instance cases of delivery, quite a few of which are taking place at
various camps. There have also been sporadic reports of women having delivered
in boats, during the rescue process. There are hardly any facilities at the
camps for healthy delivery. Says Dr. Verma, a doctor on visit from Madhya
Pradesh, "There is not even a bare minimum table or a secluded hygienic space
for conducting the delivery". Women, also would require some basic materials
like sanitary napkins for better hygiene.

Diarrhea, dysentery and general fever is quite prevalent among many people,
with almost one in two persons suffering from one of these illnesses. Mixed
skin infections; bacterial and fungal infections is also quite rampant with
almost one in five persons suffering from the same. Likewise, skin problems
like ringworm are also quite common among many people, due to spending days in
water and wet clothes. But no camps, as we were told, have any medicine to
treat the ringworm infection. With this, medicinal dearth was normal in all
camps. Even when stocks have appeared since the last few days, skin ointments,
children's medicines in suspensions, effective antibiotics were still absent
and chlorine tablets had arrived, but the general living environment is not
conducive to the health and well-being of the people. Having lived in open
spaces, amidst farms and agricultural lands, many of them are to feel
claustrophobic in the 12'/12' artificial tents erected, in particular at
the 'mega' camps, planned and started being established. The very concept
and structure of a 'mega camp' is ill-conducive to decentralized health
management. Banbanki mega camp is a case in point, where for a 5000 odd
populace, the number of latrines is a paltry 10! There is no alternative to
open defecation in the vicinity of the camp, which would only invite and
aggravate a host of viral infections and other illnesses.


INADEQUATE RESOURCE ALLOCATION BY THE GOVERNMENT OF BIHAR FOR HEALTHCARE:

The Department of Health of the Bihar Government has issued a G.O. dated
03-09-2008 and made an allocation of one crore rupees for the health related
needs for the eight districts of Bihar, with a break-up as mentioned in the
table below. The GO issues a specific mandate that all the amounts must be
spent for flood-relief and not be lying in the banks. However, considering the
population affected (even a conservative estimate is at least 25 lakh people),
this boils down to just Rs. 4/- per person, which is woefully inadequate. The
GO also lays down that the amounts would have to be spend only on the
ear-marked sub-heads, with the sanction of the District Collector, in strict
accordance with the earlier guidelines of the Disaster Management Authority.

1. Saharsa District – 20,00,000
2. Areria - 15,00,000
3. Purnia - 15,00,000
4. Soupoul - 15,00,000
5. Madhepura - 15,00,000
6. Khagaria - 10,00,000
7. Katihar - 5,00,000
8. Baghalpur - 5,00,000

The Guidelines of the Disaster Management Authority do have provisions for
flexibility, use and payment of cash for daily allowance to the affected
persons facing problem of survival at the rate of Rs. 20/- per adult and Rs.
15/- per minor, which does not seem to reach people on the ground.

FAILED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

Considering the magnitude of the disaster, there seems to be very little,
whether in terms of disaster preparedness or disaster response. The National
Disaster Management Act and Policy has comprehensive mandatory provisions,
including that for every national disaster, a Central Ministerial team must
immediately take key decisions on health related aspects, ensure timely and
adequate medication and vaccination reaches all the people and animals in the
affected area, emergency transport, including enough ambulances be made
available, declaring in time any health related or other warning, provision of
special support to the health and well-being of the people and animals in the
calamity-affected area etc. Hardly have any of these measures been implemented
across the affected districts in right earnest.

Though there is always likelihood of an immediate outbreak of an epidemic,
doctors and activists fear that with the unhygienic conditions in the camps and
the hundreds of cattle and countless humans dead bodies yet to be exhumed from
the watery grave, the probability of an epidemic, including cholera cannot be
ruled out. It is immediately essential that the Health and Veterinary
Department work in close co-ordination to wriggle out of any such anticipated
and impending health disaster.

INTERVENTION BY CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS:

Some of us, teams of activists, doctors and others are involved in relief work
in different villages and districts and are trying to reach out with some
relief materials, where the flood affected; dalits, landless, small
land-holders, fisher folk etc. are residing either in camps or on canals or in
open lands, by the road side. We are also endeavouring for the speedy,
effective and organized planning of different rescue and relief works at relief
camps and elsewhere.

The Indian Medical Association, Purnia has been playing an active role in
providing relief materials, particularly medicines to the flood-affected in the
Purnia district. The IMA doctors had spent for the medicines on their own and
they have also received assistance from the Shashwat Trust in Pune, through us.
Besides, they also have a camp at their office at Purnia, where Out Patient
service and doctoral advice is given every day during the morning hours and
medicines are supplied though the day. They have also let out their space for
relief related work. The IMA, NAPM, NBA and other local groups also had a
dialogue with the Chief Surgeon, who promised to press into service 20
ambulances as well as provide 50, 000 chlorine tablets immediately.

Communications have also been sent to the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish
Kumar, Union Railway Minister, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav and Secretary, Department
of Health, Govt. of Bihar, detailing the health related issues, among others.
There are other such initiatives which are proving to be of help.

Other doctor's teams include those from Pune and the Bihar Jharkhand Sales
Representatives' Union. are A Group of citizens from Bangalore through Mrs.
Jagdale is offering a large stock of ORS and so on and health activists -
volunteers team with Dr. Verma, Dr. Ashish Gupta, Amulya Nidhi, Sant and Ashish
Mandloi and others are in Bihar, taking stock of the macro level situation in
health, including where the Government is providing the service and where
doctors are deployed.

Though activists and NGOs who question all of this are tolerated by the
administration and political establishment in varying levels, their
intervention and suggestions are not very welcome. Local NGOs have also been
questioning the arbitrary ways of the Government in promoting and aiding large
initiatives like those of Baba Ramdev, and negating the role of small community
groups and NGOs, who were the first to respond in the initial stages of the
crisis.

VISIT TO THE CIVIL HOSPITAL IN SAHARSA: AN EYE OPENER ON HEALTH CARE FOR THE
CALAMITY - EFFECTED:

Understanding the vital role that the health department and its officials and
employees has in such a time of calamity, our team, comprising some well-known
activists and doctors also visited the Saharsa Civil Hospital to find out the
special measures for the calamity-affected, the problems that the affected are
facing, the bottlenecks in health care administration as also the
practicalities of state co-ordination with non-governmental organizations.
The day we went, we received information that a day before a child died, whose
mother was in a critical condition. We reached there and saw the Emergency
Ward, along with the Ward for Women and Children, where there was just one
doctor present and no one else. Two nurses were also sitting but were not very
eager to interact with many people. There were a very few flood- affected
people in the Emergency Ward of Saharsa Civil Hospital who had water – borne
diseases. The few who were there managed to reach and stay there with the help
of some of their relatives or from some local people.

The condition of two calamity – affected families reflects the serious lapses
in the administration and delivery of health care services. Not only
insensitivity but also illegal practices have come to the fore. It is necessary
that immediate action is taken against those responsible for the same.

Ruby Yadav, a female patient from a village in submergence reached the Civil
Hospital, along with her in-laws with a great difficulty. Her father-in-law
Shri Tufaan, despite suffering from Tuberculosis himself, and wading through
very difficult circumstances arranged for Rs. 1000/- for the treatment of his
daughter-in-law, staking his health needs, with an intention that she would get
good treatment and be saved.

But at the hospital, they were forced to spend money on each and every service
and medicine. He had thus spent Rs. 1700 and there was nothing left with him.
Ruby delivered a baby boy. Mother and child were made to lay on the bare floor,
which fact was brought to light by the local media, after which she was given a
bed, but someone again said that they were forced to shell out Rs. 200 for
that. Ruby was bleeding profusely and was clothed in the same soiled clothes
and was writhing in pain. Her pathological tests were conducted by a contracted
lab in the same hospital, after she had to pay Rs. 30 for the same. She was
also asked to purchase all the medicines from outside.
The Medicine centre many times gave no bills and even if they did, there was
neither a date nor name. Every time, the doctor at the hospital used to write a
prescription on a 2"x2" torn piece of paper and they were asked to purchase
the medicines from a private chemist. Ruby's case turned out to be one of
retained placenta, and she was discharged as according to the gynecologist, the
case was a 'difficult' one. But with their house drowned and without a
single penny in hand, Ruby and her father-in-law continued to stay in a corner
in the same hospital, but without any special attention, which Ruby needed.
When we gathered information of this entire incident and went to meet the Civil
Surgeon to hear his version, he along with many doctors, the Regional Director,
Private Secretary of the Health Minister other employees were engaged in a
discussion. We demanded a response. The Civil Surgeon and the Regional Director
confessed that the criminal practices of doctors constraining patients to
purchase medicines from outside, even from the flood – affected, by routinely
writing prescriptions on plain pieces of paper, as against on letter heads or
official bills, are quite rampant and continuing.
Upon request and questioning, Rs. 260 + Rs. 30 (prescription and receipts,
which Tufaan had) was retuned to Tufaan Singh since those were the only bills
he had and the rest of the expenses, we members of different organizations
covered.

In a while, the gynecologist Mrs. Poonam Singh was called in, who explained
that since the case was beyond her capability, she had referred Ruby to the
Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and that she is helpless now. After a
lot of debate and discussion, it was decided that Ruby would be sent to the
Patna Hospital. We also went to the Hospital and Dr. Sushma Pandey, an
acquaintance of ours, ensured that Ruby was given a bed and since she required
blood, arranged for the same in time. D & E test was performed on her and she
was discharged.

Similar is the story of Pintoo Paswan's young child, Shivnathkumar Paswan's,
hailing from Chattapur, Supaul District, who has been suffering from Meningitis
and has been in a state of unconsciousness for the last few days. Even this
family was forced to expend on the child's medication, which costs were borne
thanks to the help from a local, one Mr. Manjith Singh. In the context of our
visit, there was argument over this case as well. Neither was the money
returned back to them nor did the family receive any assistance from the Rogi
Kalyan Samithi. The family couldn't be traced since then, all that is known
is that they 'went away', no one knows where. On the 7th of September, one
more women Sunita Devi's, succumbed to death due to lack of adequate
treatment.

Yesterday, the death of one more person, Bhumibhai Pal from Bhimnagar village,
Kosi-affected at Saharsa Railway Station shocked us, yet again. His death was a
dire consequence of criminal negligence and untimely discharge given by the
doctors at the Saharsa Hospital. Activists in Saharsa, including the Khadi Gram
Udyog karyakartas sat on a Satyagraha yesterday with the body of the deceased,
before the Hospital, after which an amount of Rs. 15, 000 has been announced
for the next of the kin of the deceased and the same was paid immediately. We
are also demanding an independent inquiry into the incident.

The situation in the Saharsa Hospital which was investigated by in earlier,
only led us to conclude of the dead state of the institution. The affected
patients, although destitute, were asked to purchase medicines which was not
possible for them, who had not a penny. The Rogi Kalyan Samithi Fund is also
not being utilized and made available to those who need it in time. Even a
little complicated case is referred to Patna and the helpless patient and
family is compelled to move out on discharge given and leave for Patna on their
own. This situation is killing patients. We wrote to the Chief Minister and
Health Department immediately calling for justice to Bhumibhai and all other
calamity-affected and hope action would be initiated soon and amends made in
the treatment process on a war-footing.

The health situation related to the Kosi calamity affected is far from
improved. It's especially found that the referral hospitals have no doctors
and staff sensitive, capable and equipped to take care of the affected people.
They claim they are short of good medicines and capable doctors for complicated
cases. We found them to be most callous and inactive.

Activists in Saharsa, including the Khadi Gram Udyog karyakartas sat on a
Satyagraha yesterday with the body of the deceased, before the Hospital, after
which an amount of Rs. 15,000 has been announced for the next of the kin of the
deceased and the same was paid immediately. We are also demanding an
independent inquiry into the incident. The latest information on this front is
that the Civil Surgeon of the Saharsa Hospital has been suspended, following
yesterday's incident and the series of complaints against him, meting out
injustice to needy patients.

We have also heard that the Chief Minister has himself visited Saharsa to
monitor the relief and health care delivery, while the Health Secretary and
Health Department officials are camping there presently. While welcoming this
prompt move of the Chief Minister and the State administration, we hope that
the governmental health machinery would function to its fullest and ensure that
all Kosi calamity-affected, who are in need of medical care and treatment are
provided the same, with quality and sensitivity, at the expense of the State.
We will continue to monitor and participate in the process.

As per the National Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the norms under the
National Disaster Management Authority, National Calamity Fund and National
Calamity Contingency Fund, funds are definitely available for a number of
health related activities, including use of ambulance, even if on rent and the
persons who are so very deprived of food and all facilities and are facing a
serious problem of survival are also entitled to Rs. 20/- ex gratia per person
per day and Rs. 15/- per minor per day. In the case of a person having serious
wounds requiring hospitalization, he or she is entitled to Rs. 7500/- per
person in case of more than one week stay in hospital and Rs. 2500 per person
in the case of less that one week stay in the hospital. Where is this emergency
Fund available? When will it reach the affected? After how many more deaths?
All these are the questions we all who feel accountable to the affected people
will have to answer. The Government too cannot escape its responsibility.

These and other cases only prove that there is no special measure, let alone
sensitivity for the flood – affected people. The poor calamity – affected
are constrained to purchases medicines from outside, just as others have to. A
woman at one of the camps in Raniganj had this to say, "No poor person can go
into any Government Hospital without selling some maize, and since we have no
maize left with us now, we simply cannot think of stepping into a Government
Hospital". By the ANM merely asking the patients to go to the Hospital, they
are not in a position to.

POST – DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS:

If the physical health needs of the flood-affected are not fully catered to,
can one expect a pro-active psycho social and mental health support system in
place? This, again, is very conspicuous by its absence. Trauma and distress
counseling, which is very much needed in such situations – thousands of
people having lost their family members and relatives – dead, missing or
feared drowned, cattle lost and left out, livestock drowned or fled, lands
submerged, properties – whatever little, flooded, agriculture destroyed,
schools, hospitals, an entire life system delinked from the rest of the world
for weeks, languishing in starvation, neglect and uncertainty - such a huge
trauma, not being addressed is a major health concern.

There are any number of instances where people, particularly women and elders
are mentally distraught having lost their dear ones to the Koshi's waters.
One such women, we encountered on our visits to the camp has been suffering an
intolerable head ache, ever since her son went missing. The camps are direly
falling short of active psycho-social support personnel and persons trained in
counseling, who would be able to listen in patiently to the distressed. There
is also a pressing need for para-medical attendants, including sisters, to
cater to the medical needs.

There are also a few people who have suffered physical injuries due to the
ariel dropping of food packets and relief materials. Paraspati Jadhav of Rahta,
Muraliganj, Kumartanth Thana, suffered a serious injury on his nose due to a 5
kgs food packet falling with great velocity from the aircraft. To add to his
agony, he was misinformed by his fellow-villager that his entire family had
drowned, propelling his blood pressure to 400, making him unconscious. He is
now undergoing treatment at the Purnia Government Hospital for physical injury,
but continues to have a disturbed state of mental health.

FEEDBACK OF HEALTH ACTIVISTS AND DOCTORS:

The team of activists that visited the camps in Banbanki and two each in
Janakinagar and KBC Nehar found the situation abysmal and felt a great need to
revamp and strengthen the health support and medicare systems at the various
camps in Purnia. The situation in the camps in the other districts is not very
different. There is an occasional Primary Health Centre, for instance the one
at Middle School at Mirchaiwadi that is being of some help.

Medical availability and doctoral expertise, is as well, conspicuous by its
absence at the camps. Activists feel the need to have an ambulance in stand-by
at every rescue point and relief camp, at least during these first few weeks of
severity. There are many camps, for instance, the one in Dabeli, where no
medical relief is reaching.

That there is no one from the civil administration at the rescue points is a
recurring complaint, which, though very late in the day must be fixed and
addressed immediately and not be repeated again. There are also feelings that
dalits, Mushahars and labourers are being discriminated against, though the
administration would be loath to acknowledge this, whether in the boat rescue
process or whether with regard to the sensitivity of medical treatment.
In the past few days, our group has taken a new speed and new direction. A
small group with Dr. Verma and Mr. Sant are on the mobile dispensary on the
boat with medicines reaching out to the villages, where the villagers are going
through a difficult life. There are those who cannot leave the village or have
been brought out and went back as there are cattle and some property there or
fear loot. Medical assistance is not reaching them from the State adequately.
We are trying to do our bit. It is this support that is offered by the group on
the boats.

THE WAY FORWARD:

Calling this a national disaster would not solve the crisis even a wee bit. It
is only through proper planning, co-ordination and implementation of all the
norms and guarantees that are on paper, in the areas of health, education,
agriculture, housing, rationing, and livelihood etc. can the State claim to
bring in even an iota of normalcy in the lives of all the millions affected
and displaced b by the Kosi calamity. As mentioned already, some urgent and
effective measures must be immediately taken up on a war – footing to address
the health related concerns. After visiting the affected areas and assessing
the situation on the ground, we make the following suggestions and
recommendations:

PROACTIVE ROLE BY THE HEALTH ADMINISTRATION:

ü An Order must be passed and system put in place by the Health
Department to ensure that the cases are all dealt promptly and effectively with
sensitivity and timely decision, by using amounts from the Rogi Kalyan Samathi
and the Calamity Relief Fund, as also the local Hospital Fund.
ü An investigation must be conducted into the above two cases and all
such instances the doctors and others responsible must be dealt as per law.
Action must be taken against the Civil Surgeon, Saharsa, who is certainly being
criticized by many for his negligence.
ü The Civil Surgeon and Government Health machinery must be directed to
provide free medicines and all support to the affected people, with immediate
effect.
ü All necessary facilities for the calamity affected and ill patients,
including immediate provision of bedding or the patient from one hospital to
another, when necessary, transporting them back to the village or relief camp.
ü NDMA and CRF funds should be immediately available in the hands of all
senior officials, including the Civil Surgeon who can, with minimum procedures
take a decision and ensure timely treatment to the then and there.

FREE AND TIMELY AVAILABILITY OF MEDICINES:

ü An Order must also be passed by the Health Department that very PHC /
Hospital must provide medicines free of cost to the calamity affected, by
purchasing them if necessary, using funds from the Rogi Kalyan Samithi on a
priority basis. Strict action must be taken against doctors who prescribe or
constrain patients and their relatives to purchase medicines from outside.
ü Citing the factual reason that enough medicinal stocks are not
available, even today at many PHCs and hospitals in the flood-affected areas,
the patients are forced to purchase medicines. It must urgently be ensured that
all necessary medicines, including those for infants, children, women and
others general medicines like skin ointments, tonics etc. are made available.
ü Even at Government relief camps, the medicines are not available in
enough quantities. Suspensions, skin ointments and other such medicines
required for children are just not available. The same must be provided.
ü Groups active on the health – related relief work must be consulted
by the Government as to what medicines are not available/needed, detailed
information sought and all such medicines must be made available immediately.
ü Activists and Volunteers must keep a track of what necessary medical
paraphernalia would be required at the camps - particularly emergency
medicines, blood, equipment etc.

TRANSPORT:

ü For all those who are still stranded in the villages, mobile
dispensaries, one in each block, or for a group of blocks, must be immediately
started, also by pressing into service those boats which are not used or used
for a purpose of less utility.
ü Providing ambulances and adequate transport for conveying people
(whether medically or otherwise) from the rescue point to the relief camp.
ü There is presently no transport facility for people who are being
referred to the Civil Hospital either by governmental or non-governmental
doctors or any PHC. Many of them are simply unable to reach the Civil Hospital
or are managing to reach after a great deal of ordeal. The Health Dept. must
ensure that a regular system of brining together all patients (within a block
or a couple of camps) who are referred to the Civil Hospital is put in place
and suitable transport is arranged for them.

HUMAN RESOURCE:

ü The State Health Dept, must by Order, ensure that a team of doctors, by
rotation must camp at the rescue points, until all the rescue operations are
complete and regularly (daily twice) visit every relief camp.
ü Immediately deploying a team of para- medics and nurses at all rescue
and relief camps.
ü A team of doctors and health activists must initiate and maintain a
regular dialogue with the Hospital Superintendents, Health and Veterinary
Departments.
ü A team of experienced doctors drawn from different disciplines advising
the Civil Surgeons at all major hospitals in the 8 districts.
ü Involving people in the medicare processes at the camps and training
them in emergency medical aid, guiding and empowering the local youth and women
in health needs of people at the camps must be initiated.

FOOD AND NUTRITION:

ü Every affected family in any camp, whether Governmental or
non-governmental should be given at least 6 months time-bound temporary coupons
(ration cards) to get his/her due as per the Supreme Court Order i.e. 35 kgs of
food grains per month. This can be through a community, even without going
through the Gram Sabha procedure, in the special situation faced by the region
today.
ü The food grains must be made available to the person with proper
container bags, when ever he or she settles in a temporary or permanent
shelter. The coupon must be valid not just with a specific dealer, but any
where in a Govt. shop, if a decentralized arrangement is worked out.
ü The norms for food to be served in the camps need to be worked out, so
as to ensure that every person mandatory receives 35kgs for consumption.
ü Potable water arrangement should be made at the camps and also in the
villages through hand pumps to be put up at the rate of 1 per 50 families and
otherwise through tankers and pipelines.
ü Ensure Anganwadis are either newly started where there is a need, as
per the Supreme Court Orders or a nearby Anganwadi is upgraded and
operationalized.
ü Volunteers must Follow-up health and nutrition needs, along with the
Right to Food Monitors.
ü Preparing right to information applications and filing them on
different health related issues.
ü Particular attention to the nutrition, health and hygiene of infants.

PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN:

ü Not only are there absolutely nil facilities for pregnant women in the
relief camps, there is also no endeavour to ensure that they are taken to a
Government Hospital or a Private doctor (at state cost). There have been around
15 deliveries at the camp in Banbanki in the last two-three weeks and we have
enough information to conclude that the condition of all them is quite grim. We
have just now received information that some District Magistrates have put
together lists of pregnant women at relief camps, but have not initiated any
supportive measures yet. Lactating women must also be provided adequate
nutrition as per the Supreme Court's Orders.

MENTAL HEALTH:

ü Pyscho-social and rights based counseling, guidance, support and
information to the distressed must be treated as a priority and ensured.

HYGIENE:

ü Proper facility for bathing is a basic pre-requisite for good health
(with a closed space for women). Along with this is required bathing soap and
washing detergent, adequate water, all of which is virtually non-existent. The
State must provide all of this urgently.
ü Knowing fully well that chlorine tablets are a necessary preventive
measure, they were made available quite late and the Government camps have
started using them only no w. These tablets must be made available to all those
families that are staying in non-governmental camps or on canals, in open
lands, by the road side and all those who are firmly staying in the villages.

INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION:

ü There is also a need for proper and timely documentation of all these
issues, concerns and subsequent developments at various camps and other parts
of the flood – affected areas.
ü Preparing a comprehensive database of the total number of dead persons
till date – village and district wise, estimates of dead livestock as well,
with reasons of death – drowning, lack of timely treatment, starvation etc.
ü Constant interaction with the people to gather more details about
different sickness and ailments among people.
ü Keep the media informed of the health – related issues.


Amulya Nidhi, Madhuri Variyath, Medha Patkar, Pervin Jehangir,
09905275500 09820619174 9423965153 09820636335

Vijay Bhai, Lokendra, Rajkumar Sinha
09423965153 9430527755 09424385139

A study of dams on the Indian subcontinent and Kosi River Shifts

A study just done by me in the 80-100 and 100-120 longitude bands shows that dams on the Indian subcontinent are causing beyond design basis forces and bending moments on the Kosi barrage and embankment system causing their breaching and catastrophic eastward shifts(this year by 120 kms). This is on account of the earthquakes caused by the dams resulting in massive upward and downward shifts at the faults alternately during the monsoon and dry season respectively. During the predam era there was mainly a westward shift of the river because there was a net uplift sloping towards the West. During the dam era there were massive net subisdences year after year resulting in dramatic Eastward shifts of the river because the subsidences sloped Eastwards. During the period 2007-2008, a massive subsidence in the hydrological year 2007 was followed by a massive uplift in the present monsoon of 2008 and the engineering structures just could not bear the strain.

Man has to design around his fallibility by giving way to reforestation on a war footing. Forests are marvels of intrinsic control of rainfall and sun to which they are exposed. Read and comment on my new URL:

http://damsquakeskosirivershifts.blogspot.com/

R. Ashok Kumar,B.E.,M.E(Power),Negentropist, Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal,299,Tardeo Road, Nana Chowk, Mumbai-400007.

Update from 15th and 16th September

Update on 09/16

• Medical Camp has been organized in these villages phulkha, Gelad, Hasanpur, Ranipakhar, Gamaria, Satarkatia, Sileth, Sittalpatti and Kanp.
• Educational camp has been conducted along with Pratham team in all places where Government Camp is going on.
• In Bhojanpathi village 250 food packets has been distributed along with Goonj.
• Distributed the food and relief material in following places namely Bellore block, Bholadas Tola, Agoha Sesswa, Bake Singhwasa, Deeeraghat bobil, Kogulataman, Mansitola, Keharmandal and BhadakaSinghwasa.
• Identified 350 small children less than 1 year in Agaha BakeSinghwasa, Patarwa, and Deeraghat, provided milk for 1 week in this area.

Urgent Need:

· Tarpolene

· Utensils

· Clothes of any sizes

Update on 09/17

• Distributed used clothes food packets, and miscellaneous material like Hand bags etc from Zindal foundation in flood effected area in Khagaria and 2 carton medicine and 1 carton biscuit in Madhepura.
• With help of Goonj 300 packet of food material has been distributed in Bisanpur Panchayat.
• 3 Cartoon clothes, 1 carton food mixture and 9 cartoon milk has been distributed through Koshi Relief camp in different surrounding areas.
• Eureka Camp under supervision of Rajesh Kumar is going on in Koriyapatti camp in Triveniganj block. Distributed 24 kg milk, 360 packet biscuit , 20kg food mixture and around 50 kg utensils.
• At 0 mile area in Bellore given 80 kg clothes, 40kg food mixture, 45kg milk, 50 kg Gudd which will be distributed in Panchayat.
• Our Medical camp has treated 135 people yesterday, team of Dr is coming from Chennai, accommodation and other logistics arrangement has been made for them.
• Our strategy is to focus on these 4 blocks, which are Bellore in Khagaria, Triveniganj and Chatapur in Suffole and Saharsha in Pattarghat. In Bellore and Triveniganj we have already established the place and all.

Two main concern we noticed

• We still need food material as water is receding there are many village which still need food as there are mthing to eat for villagers
• Government is forcing people to vacate the relief camp and go to villages by making false promises like Survey etc, but reality is there is no place for these people to live once they come back to their village, we are forcing government to keep the relief camp for some more time.

Publicity material and contribution

Hi All,

Following are the materials that have been used by College Park and Duke chapters. In case any chapters need material, please use these and modify as needed.

Powerpoint:
http://docs.aidindia.org/intranet/Docum ... relief.ppt
Poster:
http://docs.aidindia.org/intranet/Documents/AID-Chapters/San-Diego/Bihar-Flood-Relief/APPEAL-FOR-HELP(Poster).doc
Handout:
http://docs.aidindia.org/intranet/Documents/AID-Chapters/San-Diego/Bihar-Flood-Relief/APPEAL-FOR-HELP-(hand-outs).doc

Thanks
Sripriya

Updates on September 12, 2008

Need to raise over 100,000 USD to carry on the relief operations

Here are the updates from our partners Dharmendra, Ashish and Kamayani who are working on the ground for providing relief to Bihar Flood victims in the areas including Madhepura, Araria, Supaul, Saharsa, Khagaria.

This update is taken by Nishank.


From Dharmendra ji:

As Dharmendraji reported, in Madhepura they are closely working with Bar Association Secretary Krishna Narayan to carry on the relief work. They were supposed to visit 4 camps in Madhepura block with their "mobile hospital" but could only visit 2 due to lack of medicines. They also visited 2 camps in Saharsa with their mobile hospital. The need for medicines is urgent and also more doctors are needed for providing the medical relief.

Dharmedra ji's team is also working in collaboration with the Mukhiya of the Hasanpur village for a relief camp there.

Meanwhile, they had a meeting where the teams from Saharsa, Khagaria, Supaul and Araria came to decide the plan of action for carrying out the relief work in these areas. With the relief materials pouring in from different places, the challenge is to coordinate the distribution in a timely manner.

Our AID Jeevansaathi from Chennai, Balaji Sampath has also reached Madhepura and assessing the situation there.

According to his estimates, we immediately need to raise over 100,000 USD to carry on the relief operations because the needs are unsurmountable, and any amount of funds would prove small. But at the same time, it is important to ensure that we do the best we can in helping the flood victims.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra ji was explaining that they are planning to establish relief centers in Supaul, Saharsa and Khagaria. They would include two blocks in one center and still the situation in many of the villages needs to be assessed where no relief work has reached yet.

He also explained the situation in few of the villages where earlier at the least the boats where reachable, but now since the water has receded, neither the boats can be reached nor it is still suitable to be traveled by road, thus relief work getting hampered.

Right now even the main town of Madhepura is submerged in water and the only way their relief team is able to travel in those areas is on motorcycles with the wheels under water. In one of the areas Bhajanpatti in Kishanpur Panchayat, many snakes have started coming in the village which is causing panic among the people there. The villagers there have also seen some dead bodies floating in the water but they don't know how to perform the last rites. They also told of an instance where a person clinged to a tree for about 15 days but was finally saved. They are also covering other areas in Kishanpur Panchayat from ward No. 12 to ward No.17 including villages BhajanPatti, Kuan Tola, Paharpur, Dhaddi.

In Beldaur block in Khagaria, a team of 6 doctors would be coming from Chennai and they also have to rely on local buying of medicines as they are still waiting for medicines to reach from other places.

One of the sad outcomes of the flood is that many families have got totally fragmented, where 2-3 members from each family are going to different camps or to their relatives in different places. In some of the villages the elders of the family have sent away the ladies and children to safer places and are themselves guarding the only home they have, even though with lack of food.

There is also an acute problem of safe drinking water, and only few handpumps are able to provide water. Even the halogen tablets used for purification of water is not available to everyone.


From Ashish:

In Supual, their team is working on providing medical relief. Their team is in the process of arranging the

Medical team in that area. They are expecting medicines to arrive soon from Banaglore.

In the last 2-3 days they have been working in the Bhargama Block in Araria where few of the volunteers have also come from Supaul. They have managed to get the help of around 35 volunteers including many local youths. On September 9th they carried on a 24 hours relief operation in a place called JVC Nahar in Araria where they distributed around 15 tonnes of food packets and clothes which came in 4 tractors. The volunteers are carrying all the relief operations on their own. They also got the support from the local administration in crossing the Nahar. On 10th September they visited Raniganj block and on 11th September they visited Narpatganj.

The next block they would be visiting is Forbesganj.

Their next plan of action includes doing survey in the relief camps about the loss of livelihood and property of the flood victims to get a fair idea on the amount of damage done by the calamity. This survey in various relief camps would be carried on by the volunteers themselves.

They have also formed a control center in Araria for stocking and distribution of the relief material coming
from other places and they have also made living arrangements for the volunteers in the control center.

From Kamayani:

The relief work in Araria is going on at its full pace and they are waiting for the medical team which would be coming from Maharashtra on 12th September. They would also be bringing medicines with them which would be used for distribution in the relief camps. Meanwhile, the number of camps by Govt. is increasing in the area and also many of the locals have started going back in their villages.

IIT Kharagpur fund collection

http://sambhaviitkgp.blogspot.com/

AID India thanks Atrenta India for their generous donation

AID India has collected Rs 25900 from employees of Atrenta India.

Government being pressurized through RTI for the Relief work

Five Asha Parivar RTI fellows in Bihar and their associates including Mahendra, Vandana Pandey, Vinod, Manoj (Siwan), Snehlata, Tarkeshwar and PC Ghosh (Katiyar), have been pressing the Bihar government for delivery of services as claimed on paper. For instance, if the newspapers published government reports of 300 boats dispatched and none can be seen operating in the field, RTI application has been filed to request for the details of the implementation.

Mahendra is in Poornia with Narmada Bachao Andolan team along with Medha Patekar. On the demand of Medha Didi, DMs of three districts (Saharsa,Supaul and Madhepura) have been transfered for irregularity in relief work. Many groups along with Manoj and Mahendare met Medha Didi yesterday in Patna. Medha Didi and other representatives met State Government officials with media covering it. (Article at: http://www.patnadaily.com/news2008/sept/090608/medha_patkar_in_bihar.html). NBA group is very active in Sahrsa, Poornia and Araria district.

A helpline has been started in Patna by RTI fellow Vandana and others, who will provide guidance to volunteers coming from outside for relief work. Many additional Asha parivar volunteers from Uttar Pradesh are joining RTI and R&R efforts.

RTI fellows in bihar have started applying RTI applications under section 7(1) to get information in 48 hours, about the relief work.

Mahendra can be reached at 9852022262 and another contact Chinmay at: 9923936658

While the Government has enough funds and resources to deal with the immediate problem, effective implementation is yet to bee seen. RTI applications, Information helpline and other coordination will help build pressure on the Government machinery.

~~Sirish
sirish.in@gmail.com

Latest Update from Kamayani (As sent on 7th September)

Dear Friends,

As at all other times support from the AID community has been tremendous and all of us here in Bihar appreciate your positive response. I have been out in Araria since the 23^rd so have been quite silent on email. Yesterday Medha Patkar and NAPM and NBA volunteers were in Patna after their visits to flood affected areas and I had come to join in the meeting planned in Patna. I had promised Priya and Abhishek that I would send an update last night but I guess the day was quite long, broad band at home is not working and I have got some sort of viral infection, put all this together and I am delayed in writing this mail.

As some of you may already know in June this year Ashish and I had gone to Araria district for coordinating an intensive survey initiated by Prof. Jean Dreze. The survey was conducted by the G.B. Pant Institute (Allahabad University) and focused on assessing the ground realities of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in two districts of Bihar, namely Kaimur and Araria. The survey also had related campaign activities like awareness generation, checking if transparency safeguards were in place to check corruption and documentation of irregularities and cases of corruption.

Our work was done with a lot of local support and it was at the end of this survey that the Jan Jagaran Abhiyan was born. The Abhiyan plans to work on NREGA, Right to Information (RTI) and issues of justice. The Abhiyan was focusing on following up on issues that surfaced during the survey (related to irregularities, lack of awareness etc). Abhiyan representatives were in touch with the government and trying to generate interest amongst officials to work with civil society organizations to ensure transparency and smooth functioning of NREGA in Araria. And it was just as the Abhiyan was finding its roots in Araria that the floods came and we have jumped head long into relief work.

So far the Abhiyan is a completely voluntary affair, a small unregistered group, with no remunerations and institutional funds (though we have generated some funds from friends for the basic functions of the Abhiyan). However, for the relief work we are taking all support whether individual or institutional, and once again I would like to appreciate AID's support here.

So far:

- Visiting camps and rescue points set up across the district to have an understanding of the situation, the needs of the people etc.

- Directing relief materials to places where it is most needed, helping in distribution, coordinating with local administration to reach areas which have got cut off …

- Set up a small control room in Araria where we can store and sort relief materials, before distributing them at the camps, issued an appeal for contributions locally in Araria.

- Medha Patkar with other NAPM and NBA volunteers, has been visiting the flood affected areas and they were also in Araria. This has given the group new energy and direction.

- Our volunteers are also supporting running of a transit relief camp at Araria Court Railway station, which is being run by the North Frontier Railway.

Further plans: Continue with all above and also …

- Survey: Swati Desai and Anand mazgaonkar are trying to organize a small student volunteer team with some senior people, who are experienced in disaster management, with their support we are planning a survey of all camps in Araria dist. According to the Government there are 64 Government relief camps housing about 70,000 people. We hope this survey will give us concrete basis of giving inputs to the administration to improve camp status and also identify gaps that can be addressed by civil society groups.

- Medical Relief: Thanks again to Swati and Anand we are in touch with Darshan, from Mumbai who is organizing a team of intern doctors to visit Araria. There are already cases of diahhoreal infections and deaths due to the same being reported from camps.

But even as we do our best with relief we must remember that we have a larger problem at hand. The problem of floods is a recurrent one in Bihar. Every year we re faced by floods, though the scales re far more massive this year. As Medha said flood control is not the solution the solution is flood management. There needs to be a more concerted effort at finding a solution to this recurrent floods problem.

Leaving for Araria tonight.

Thank you

Best wishes

Kamayani

9771950248

Ps- I know i have much more to say to write to to tell but maybe will write when there is more time at hand.

Ps- Kind of relief material that is useful: warm clothes (children), blankets, saris, lungis, gamchas, soap, hair oil. Other than that medicines, dry food rations and monetary contributions. Volunteers are needed especially those who could do survey kind of work, coordinate relief materials, keep stocks, etc.

An Appeal

SURFEIT OF WATER

TRAGEDY UNIMAGINABLE: DIRE NEED FOR HELP!

Nature gives and nature takes away. The same clouds that bring drops of life giving liquid choose to come down in excess and cause chaos. The same rivers that have sustained lives for centuries, albeit with occasional problems, turn into a roaring torrent and sweep ALL LIFE away! When this happens because some of our own power structure failed to properly maintain a dam upstream the onus is upon all of us because we were not vigilant enough to ensure that the required job was being done.

However, this is not the moment to try and assign blame rather it is THE MOMENT for each one of us to come forward to alleviate the untold suffering of over 2 million members of our Bihari FAMILY. By all counts, the magnitude of the tragedy is GREATER than the Tsunami of 2004 and so the requirements are also manifold.

What is needed? LITERALLY EVERYTHING: potable water, food, shelter, clothing, medicine .....

Why? Hundreds of villages have been swept OUT of existence. The river has changed course in a major way and there is no WAY to go back.

When? RIGHT AWAY!

The Govts have responded but as always the reponse is far from adequate. Several of our volunteers (Kamayani, Ashish, Balaji) and close collaborators (Dharmendar, Vivek ) are right in the middle of the formidable sheets of water trying to bring hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless. However, they need supplies in unimagined quantities. Supplies, which must be procured asap and shipped to the relevant sites as fast as possible.

In the past it has been our great fortune that the community has come forward and contributed the funds that permitted us to deliver much needed help in Orissa, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kashmir to name a few.

We appeal to you again to please use the immense generosity in your kind hearts to support our efforts.

God Bless you! God Bless Bihar! God Bless India!

~Mohan

Status Update - September 8th

Status Update - September 08th.

This update is based upon the telephonic conversation between Dharmendraji and Nishank.

While giving the update, Dharmendraji was on the move on National Highway 107. The area is still flooded with water, with all 4 wheels of his vehicle submerged in water, and a boat was passing nearby.

Few of the key points:

-- He hasn't been able to send a report on Madhepura yet, but would be doing that soon. Madhepura was all covered with water, and now slowly the water has started receding which has made it more accessible to make it possible to begin relief work . There is a camp of about 400 people and the relief material has reached there. There are also Govt. camps in Singheswar and Madhepura area.

-- They are sending the food material through boats to different panchayats. There have been few instances where the people there have tried to loot the relief material. However, they have not faced any such situation so far. In the areas, where they are distributing the relief material on their own, they are first taking the local people into confidence to ensure smooth operations. They are trying to ensure that the most needy people get the help first!

-- They are running 2 mobile hospitals in Saharsa. One mobile hospital returned from the Kahra Block in Saharsa. A lot of medical relief is needed there on an urgent basis. There are currently no doctors to run the medical camp as the doctors have been sent to other places. There is an urgent need for doctors to help in the medical relief there.

-- They also had a meeting with their partner PRATHAM yesterday and they are coming up with a new strategy. The main center for coordination would be in Patna. AID would be having camp center in Saharsa which would cover the regions Saharsa, Madhepura, Supaul and Khagaria. The team from PRATHAM would be having a center in Purnea and they would be covering the regions Purnea, Kathiar and Araria.

-- From their old team of 4 people, 3 have returned back to Patna to handle the relief supplies coming from different places and to coordinate from there. At the same time, 10 new people have been added to the field team who would be involved in the relief work on the ground. These volunteers are from the Eureka/Sambhav team.


-- Dharmendra also said that, for the time being they have sufficient food supplies and now they would be spending more time in educating the people in the camps to be more self sufficient. This would involve interacting with them, teaching them how to run the camp on their own, including making food and distributing to others, about health and hygeine etc.

-- They would be establishing a center in Saharsa soon. They have got the place for it and the work would be starting soon.

More updates would be coming soon.

Thanks and regards,
Nishank
onlynishank@gmail.com

NGOs in Bihar: Voluntary Sector and its Credibility

by Dr. Anant Kumar

This commentary is based on my field visits, and interaction with over four hundred NGO's representatives, staff and functionaries in Bihar. I also got an opportunity to see some of their work in the field and interact with their staff and communities. There is lot to share and I know many of NGOs and readers of this article may not agree with my views and the way I see NGOs and its emergence in Bihar and their work. The observations, comments and examples mentioned in the paper are my own views and perception, and not against any particular organisation or individual.

There are several issues and concerns which questions the credibility of NGOs in Bihar. In last ten years and particularly after nineties, the number of NGOs registered in Bihar has outnumbered the other states. Although we do not have exact numbers, according to estimates, presently there are more than thirty thousands NGOs in Bihar. According to official sources nearly 10,000 NGOs exist only on paper .

To read more, please click here

Victim women in flesh trade contributed one day earning for the flood victims:

Date: 29 August 2008
Ahmednagar

Snehalaya has always motivated the last layer of the society to become the most responsible element of the Indian community. This time the river Koshi became aggressive and destroyed the lives of thousands in Bihar, Snehalaya appealed to help the victims affected by the adversity.

The women in flesh trade responded first of all and donated their one day earning Rs. 11,000 to the Prime Minister Relief Fund. Mrs. Meena Shinde, Project Director and Ms. Sangita Shelar, Field Supervisor (Kopargaon) colleted the fund from all over Ahmednagar district.
The victim women had donated their one day or two days earnings for the victims of Mumbai bomb blast, earthquake in Latur, Tsunami, Orisa cyclone, Kargil war etc. before.
Snehalaya has also appealed to various trusts like Shirdi Sanstha, Shani Shinganapur Sansthan, Mohata Devi Trust etc. These all trust has accepted our request and decided to donate for over come the calamity.

Mr. Jayant Sasane declared Rs. one crore immediately on behalf of Shirdi Sansthan and he will hand over the cheque to Prime Minister Relief Fund for flood affected victims soon. The other trusts are also going to contribute at their level best.

~~ Lalit Deshmukh
( www.snehalaya.org )

Latest Update - September 08.

Hi,

I just had a brief talk with Dharmendra ji over phone.

He said that the waters are receding now in the flood affected areas, but health care is now becoming a prime concern in the villages. There are many people who want to go back to their villages, but lot of rehabilitation work has to be done.

Moreover, the flood affected areas are becoming epidemic prone and lot of people are suffering from diarrhea. They are also planning to arrange mosquito nets for people.

We need to plan accordingly as how can we mobilize efforts towards health care and reduce the impact of imminent epidemic in flood affected areas.

~~Nishank

Bihar flood - Appeal for help

News coverage by Sahara Samay Channel (Bihar/Jharkhand) along with an appeal to help the victims.

Latest on Sept 6 in flood relief zone in Bihar

Update from Dharmendraji

From Village Yakhya in Mali Tola

Here 400 families have been affected, out of which 300 belong to mushar community, about 80 homes have been completely wiped off, virtually no mark left. Our team was the first to reach this village along with Ghadi detergent team, distributed food materials, clothes to around 1000 people, and provided milk to around 250 children.

From Bhola Tap Tola

Around 1200 families have suffered in this area, most of the families here belong to backward community, and here also our team is the first to reach. This, despite the flooding in all these areas since the last 12 days. Here we distributed around 5 quintals chura, 500 sarees, and milk to 500 children.

New concerns:

• We need to distribute utensils urgently as people are using polythene covers and newspapers etc to drink and eat
• We also have to distribute mosquito nets as the areas were water logged and we need to take preventive action to avoid diseases caused by mosquitoes.

We are also working with Kaushal Kishore and UNICEF team to conduct camp for delivery of pregnant women and have arranged milk for women who have just delivered babies.

We also made some provisions for Sehri and Iftar for people fasting during Ramzan.

Our camp in Khagria and Saharsha are running, where we are providing food, milk etc to around 1000-1500 people daily.

In long term we are planning to have a center in Saharsha block which will be the action centre from where we will coordinate the work in all four flood affected districts.

Update from Kamayani

· Residents of Krishna Nagar have collected the following material which will be dispatched to flood effected areas this evening.

o 12 tonnes Chura and Gud

o Used clothes of different sizes

o Packets of biscuits and medicine.

· There is a meeting with Medha Patkar and civil society group to plan strategies to tackle the long term problems because of flood.

Couple of AID Saathis are helping to run the camp organized by Railway authority in Court House of Araria

Detailed update from Kamayani:

As at all other times support from the AID community has been tremendous and all of us here in Bihar appreciate your positive response. I have been out in Araria since the 23^rd so have been quite silent on email. Yesterday Medha Patkar and NAPM and NBA volunteers were in Patna after their visits to flood affected areas and I had come to join in the meeting planned in Patna. I had promised Priya and Abhishek that I would send an update last night but I guess the day was quite long, broad band at home is not working and I have got some sort of viral infection, put all this together and I am delayed in writing this mail.

Our group Jan Jagaran Abhiyan is a completely voluntary affair, a small unregistered group, with no remunerations and institutional funds (though we have generated some funds from friends for the basic functions of the Abhiyan). And it was just as the Abhiyan was finding its roots in Araria that the floods came and we have jumped head long into relief work.

However, for the relief work we are taking all support whether individual or institutional, and once again I would like to appreciate AID's support here.

So far:

· Visiting camps and rescue points set up across the district to have an understanding of the situation, the needs of the people etc.

· Directing relief materials to places where it is most needed, helping in distribution, coordinating with local administration to reach areas which have got cut off …

· Set up a small control room in Araria where we can store and sort relief materials, before distributing them at the camps, issued an appeal for contributions locally in Araria.

· Medha Patkar with other NAPM and NBA volunteers has been visiting the flood affected areas and they were also in Araria. This has given the group new energy and direction.

· Our volunteers are also supporting running of a transit relief camp at Araria Court Railway station, which is being run by the North Frontier Railway.

Further plans: Continue with all above and also …

· Survey: Swati Desai and Anand Mazgaonkar are trying to organize a small student volunteer team with some senior people, who are experienced in disaster management, with their support we are planning a survey of all camps in Araria dist. According to the Government there are 64 Government relief camps housing about 70,000 people. We hope this survey will give us concrete basis of giving inputs to the administration to improve camp status and also identify gaps that can be addressed by civil society groups.

· Medical Relief: Thanks again to Swati and Anand we are in touch with Darshan, from Mumbai who is organizing a team of intern doctors to visit Araria. There are already cases of diarrheal infections and deaths due to the same being reported from camps.

But even as we do our best with relief we must remember that we have a larger problem at hand. The problem of floods is a recurrent one in Bihar. Every year we re faced by floods, though the scales are far more massive this year. As Medha said flood control is not the solution the solution is flood management. There needs to be a more concerted effort at finding a solution to this recurrent floods problem. I hope some of yu who are interested in this issue will look up the forum, where I had a couple of years ago posted DK Mishra's writings on the Bihar floods.

Leaving for Araria tonight.

Thank you

Best wishes

Kamayani

9771950248

- Kind of relief material that is useful: warm clothes (children), blankets, saris, lungis, gamchas, soap, hair oil. Other than these medicines, dry food rations and monetary contributions. Volunteers specially those who could do survey kind of work, coordinate relief materials, keep stocks

Some flood statistics pertaining to Araria provided by Kamayani obtained from government control room –

· 2 ,27,262 approx affected people in Araria

· Totally inundated gram panchayats 12, partially inundated panchayats 51 ( total 51)

· The blocks affected are: sorbesganj, navpatganj, bhargama, raniganj

· The camps in Araria are also catering to flood victims from worse affected districts like Madhepura and Supoul, who are being rescued and reached to Araria.