Kosi devastating Bihar

Posted on September 1, 2008. Filed under: News | Tags: air force, airstrips, airstrips at Bihta, airstrips at Purnea, AN-32 aircraft, armed forces, army, army engineer, army engineer task forces, Barah Kshetra, Barah Kshetra area, Barah Kshetra in Nepal, Bihar, Bihta, Crisis, Crisis Management Group, flood area, Floods, Ganga, Government, Government of Bihar, India, Kosi, Madhepura, navy, Nepal, Patna, Patna Airport, Purnea, rescue, rescue operation, special army engineer task forces, State Government, State Government of Bihar, Supaul, task forces |

Vast expanses of lush green farm lands between Madhepura and Supaul in Bihar are destroyed by flood waters of Kosi. The Kosi looks invincible and its water are moving in any direction they choose. Somewhere it is moving northwards whereas some where southwards. Those who have been lucky enough to escape are moving but don’t know where to. Railway has declared a ticketless journey to all flood devastated people to their destination of choice.

The armed forces have moved into top gear to assist in rescue and relief work. Though the armed forces has begun to deploy on their own in the flood-hit areas, they are now mobilizing their resources after being asked to do so by Central Government’s Crisis Management Group. The army over the last 24 hours has tripled the number of columns, each with over 120 personnel equipped with rescue boats, engineering and medical kits. The special army engineer task forces have already established 14 “water points” as well as begun work to restore vital roads and bridges and strengthen critical embankments to control the raging flood waters. The navy has dispatched six AN-32 aircraft for the Indian Air Force stationed at Purnea. With all these efforts underway, the armed forces have asked the State Government of Bihar to keep the Patna airport open round-the-clock, apart from reactivating additional airstrips at Bihta and Purnea to ensure unhindered movement of personnel and relief material.

The outflow of Kosi water into the Ganga increased which did not allow the flood area to rise abruptly even after increased water discharge into Kosi from Barah Kshetra in Nepal. As many as 23.13 lakh people are facing the flood fury. The number of evacuated people now stands at 4.67 lakh of whom 1.53 lakh are staying in 172 relief camps.