Floods in Bihar

Appeal Target: US$ 1,761,189

Over two million people are reported to be affected by floods in Bihar, India, the worst floods to hit this region in decades.  A BBC report of 30 August notes that the death toll has risen to 70, and at least 124,000 people have been evacuated to safer grounds.  The Save the Children Alliance reports that over 500,000 children have been put at risk.  Information below has been received from ACT member Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), which is in the process of mobilizing a substantial emergency response.

The Kosi River, which gathers water from some of the highest mountains in Nepal, including Everest, and enters India in north Bihar, changed its course, and shifted over 120 km eastwards on 18 August 2008. In the process it has rendered useless more than 300 km of embankments that had been built to control its waters, and picked up a channel it had abandoned over 200 years ago. The effect has been enormous, inundating numerous towns and villages that were considered “flood safe areas”, and that had not seen such floods for decades  It is a catastrophe far greater than the annual floods.  People from various villages have taken shelter along the roads as most of their houses have been washed away in the flood waters. The districts of Supaul, Saharsa, Araria, Madhepura, Katihar and Purnea have been badly hit. Supaul District is the most impacted area (500,000 people affected).  Road linkages, water and electricity supplies in the above districts have been badly disrupted. Railway tracks in several places have been submerged under water. Nearly 50,000 people are trapped on the east-west corridor highway, while relief workers said people have taken shelter on roof tops and trees in remote areas.  Six teams of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, along with the Army and Air Force, have been pressed into action in the affected districts. About 17,000 food packets have been airdropped and 71 relief camps have been set up by the government so far. The state government, while sending out an SOS to the Central Government of India, has issued an emergency appeal to all national and international agencies to help the affected population, besides providing every possible a assistance to them.

CASA has approved support for 5,000 families in the affected area of Bihar, in the form of ready-to-eat food, i.e. one kg Jaggery (molasses) and 10 kg flattened rice, as an immediate response. The emergency staff from CASA’s East Zone office are in  the affected area to carry out this initial relief distribution and make a first hand assessment of the situation, and to establish a base camp with requisite infrastructure and logistical support.

Considering the devastation and scale of this disaster, and also in view of the various ongoing emergency interventions in East Zone, an inter-zonal team is being constituted comprising experienced staff from other zonal offices of CASA to respond to this major disaster.  CASA is treating this as a major catastrophe and is therefore planning to intervene in a meaningful and substantial manner with a large-scale program providing ready to eat food, dry ration kits, clothing, utensils, blankets, plastic sheets and some construction material and latrines as a short term rehabilitation measure.

An ACT Alert was sent out on 21 August 2008 (No. 32/2008), referring to heavy rains and floods in India, Nepal and Pakistan.   This was followed by an ACT Update disseminated on 26 August 2008, providing information on the floods in Bihar.  ACT member CASA has prepared the attached proposal for emergency assistance, comprising food as and non-food items for the most needy flood victims.   (It is noted that ACT member Lutheran World Service India (LWSI) is also present in this emergency-affected area, is carrying out an assessment, and will be presenting their own proposal.  Once received, this Appeal will be revised accordingly).

Project Completion Date:

CASA –  28 February 2009

Reporting schedule:

Signed by:

John Nduna
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office