[Assam] [WaterWatch] Nitish to meet PM, admits it is abnormal flood

[mc mahant]

FLOODs are  resultant of India's  "National Embankment Policy" 
Dr Dinesh Mishra's Treatise tells all
Undo  this  "National Embankment Policy" - lock ,stock and barrel. 
Nature dug the Channels over a million Years.
India Nation Tried to be smarter. 
Better Late than never.
Scrap the idiotic POLICY.
How?
 Your   STRONG (Almost Super Power) Economy/Technology/Management--all your Pride Institutions should tell you HOW.
 
MM
 



To: waterwatch at yahoogroups.comFrom: anurani at gmail.comDate: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:58:04 +0530Subject: [WaterWatch] Nitish to meet PM, admits it is abnormal flood



1. 1 million cut off by monsoon floods in India25/8/2008PATNA, India (AP) � Authorities struggled Monday to get aid to more than 1 million people stranded by floods in a north Indian state, with one local government leader describing the situation as a catastrophe.Air force helicopters and troops were trying to get food to people in the stricken areas of Bihar state that were inundated by flood waters last week after torrential rains caused the Kosi river in neighboring Nepal to burst its banks.The Bihar state government issued a plea to relief agencies to step in and help get food and shelter to the residents."It is not a normal flood, but a catastrophe," said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after making an aerial survey of the ravaged districts.Kumar said more than 1 million people were cut off from the rest of the country because the floods had washed away roads and made railway lines impassable.India's monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, brings rain vital for the country's farmers but also massive destruction. Floods, mudslides, collapsing houses and lightning strikes kill hundreds of people every year.This year's monsoon has killed more than 330 people in India so far. In 2007, monsoon floods killed more than 2,200 people across South Asia and left 31 million others homeless, short of food or with other problems. The United Nations called last year's floods the worst in living memory.Officials said they were struggling to cope because the Kosi river changed its course after bursting its banks, flooding areas not usually affected by the seasonal monsoon."We are in for a long battle as the floods have come in areas which are not prone to it," said the state's Disaster Management Secretary Prataya Amrit. He said the areas lacked facilities and relief centers for dealing with floods.Kumar said he had appealed to the Indian Embassy in Nepal to secure permission for India to send in workers and equipment to try to mend the breach in the river.Associated Press2. Flood devastation in Bihar state25/8/2008Over a million people have been affected by floods in three districts of the northern Indian state of Bihar, officials say.The banks of the Kosi river overflowed days after the part of the river in neighbouring Nepal breached an embankment there.Bihar's districts of Supaul, Araria and Madhepura which border Nepal are the worst affected.Floods in South Asia are common. About 28m people were affected last year.Supplies by airOfficials say that crops on tens of thousands of hectares of land have been damaged by the Bihar floods.Over 50 relief camps have been opened in the three affected districts, and Indian air force helicopters are dropping food packets in the area.People in the area have taken refuge on embankments, highways, and buildings to escape the flood waters.Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has described the floods as a "catastrophe".Over 170 country boats have been pressed into service to rescue stranded people, and reach relief supplies.However, the affected people say they have not been receiving any government help.They chased away three senior legislators who had arrived in the area to meet flood victims during the weekend."All the relief material is being siphoned off by government officials," alleged farmer Kameshwar Prasad, who has taken shelter in a school in Supaul district.By Amarnath TewaryPatnaBBC NEWS3. Nitish to meet PM, admits it is abnormal flood25/8/2008Patna, (Bihar Times): Chief minister Nitish Kumar will be meeting the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, within next two or three days and apprise him with the situation in the flood ravaged districts of north Bihar.Nitish Kumar trying to locate the flood affected areas near Koshi River in the map at 1, Aney Marg, Patna on 25th Aug., 2008.He said his government would seek immediate central assistance to tackle the problem caused by the sudden change in the course of Kosi river after over two kilometers long breach in its embankment in Nepal.He admitted that it was not a normal flood but a catastrophe. The chief minister said that thousands of people were still trapped and needed to be evacuated.Nitish appealed to the political parties not to politicize the issue and join hands in solving the complex problem of floods in Bihar. He said that his government, along with all the parties of the state, should call on the Centre for the lasting solution to the perennial problem of floods in north Bihar.He said that the state government had also sought the Centre as well the Nepal government�s help in plugging the breach caused in Kosi. Nitish warned of difficult days ahead as Kosi discharges more water in the late monsoon, that is October.Bihar Times4. Kosi water wreaks havoc23 Aug 2008MADHEPURA: Surging flood water of the Kosi rushed to Madhepura on Thursday evening creating havoc in three blocks of the district. Flood water entered Kumarkhand block area and then rushed towards Shankarpur and Murliganj blocks.Road and railway lines have been completely damaged near Dinapatti village under Murliganj block of the district. Water has also overtopped the railway lines of the district. A long portion of the NH-107 before the Baluaha road bridge is completely damaged. Road and rail link between Madhepura and Purnia are snapped.Tikuliya, Ramnagar, Besad, Korlahi, Sukhasan, Zadiya, Ranipatti villages are submerged with flood water while people are taking shelter at higher places. Ten shepherds have been feared to have drowned in Ramnagar village under the block.Flood water has also inundated Machhha, Parsa, Zirwa, Morkahi and Shankarpur villages under the same block area.Water is overflowing from the Kosi canal inundating the villages. The local mukhiya said floodwater is posing threat to Shankarpur market adding water current is mounting pressure on a bridge over the canal at Morkahi. The local BDO is reportedly camping at the affected site.Rail and road link of Murliganj, the financial hub of the district, has been completely disturbed due to long breach. Flood water has submerged Gangapur, Bhalni, Ramni, Jamuha, Gidrahi and Dinapatti villages making the entire area a virtual island.Indra Narayan Yadav, a mukhiya of the neighbouring panchayat, said people have deserted the villages and were taking shelter on the edges of Kosi canal. He said none of the officials had reached there so far. Three persons including a woman and two children have reportedly drowned near Dinapatti under Murliganj block area on Friday morning.Deo Narayan SahaTOI5. Flood situation worsens in Bihar19 Aug 2008A woman collects water for drinking from an inundated hand pump at Danapur Diyara village near Patna. (PTI Photo)More PicturesPATNA: The flood situation in Bihar worsened on Tuesday with most major rivers in spate following heavy rains in their catchment areas over the past few days.Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reviewed the flood situation along with top officials of the state in the wake of the breach in the eastern Kosi embankment in Nepal and the consequent floods in the bordering districts of Bihar.Kumar instructed the officials to step up relief and rescue efforts in Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Araria districts affected by the floods caused due to the breach in the Kosi embankment, official sources said.After easing a bit over the past fortnight the situation deteriorated in 802 flood-hit villages in 11 districts -- Muzaffarapur, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Katihar, Araria, West Champaran, Khagaria, Sitamarhi, Patna and Nalanda, state's Disaster Management Department sources said.Most major rivers including the Ganga, Punpun, Ghaghra, Burhigandak, Bagmati, Kosi and Mahananda were flowing above the danger level at several places along their course.A Central Water Commission report said that the Ganga was flowing 63 cm above the red mark at Gandhighat in Patna, and 50 cm and 81 cm at Hathidah and Kahalgaon respectively, while Punpun had crossed the danger level by 216 cm at Sripalpur.The Burhi Gandak was flowing 83 cm above the danger level at Khagaria and Bagmati 17 cm at Benibad, it said.The report said the Kosi was flowing 101 cm above the red level at Kursela and Mahananda 34 cm and 49 cm at Dhengraghat and Jhawa respectively.The Times of India6. Koshi flood displaces 35,000 people, three feared dead, 12 missing19 August, 2008More than 35,000 people who have been displaced after the Saptakoshi river damaged dams in Western Kusaha region of Sunsari district on Monday are now taking shelter in local schools in the area.Local authorities say that the displaced have been put up at 12 government-run schools, government offices and private homes in Inaruwa, the district headquarter of Sunsari.Dev Narayan Yadav of the Koshi Pidit Samak, an organization of people victimized by the annual floods in Koshi river, said that the displaced, many of whom are in a very bad-condition, are in desperate need of food, shelter and medicines.A team of Nepal Army personnel and police force are continually engaged in rescue efforts along with distributing relief materials in the affected areas. They are said to be getting help from the locals in this matter.As the swollen river started to erode the dams and inundate the nearby villages, tens of thousands of local people had started to flee their homes for safety from Monday night.The raging river completely swept away more than 3,000 houses and destroyed huge tracts of paddy fields.Reports just coming in say that 3 people have died of drowning in the swollen river and more than 12 people are feared to be missing. However, police said that they only have information about the missing people.A section of East-West highway in Laukahi area has also been obstructed due to the flood, adversely affecting rescue efforts and transportation in the region. Hundreds of passengers traveling to far eastern Nepal have been stranded because of this as their buses remained park at the other end of the Koshi barrage.The swollen river water has also damaged the optical fibre of Nepal Telecom in the district, because of which the mobile phone services in eastern Nepal has also been disrupted. According to Nepal Telecom, this has affected more than one hundred thousand mobile phone users in the region. NT officials said that the mobile service would only resume after repairs are carried on the damaged optical fibre and said that this is not possible until the river water recedesReports said Laukahi, Kusaha, Ghuski, Sripur, Haripur and Basantapur VDCs have been the most affectedThe flood has affected the buffer region of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. An army battalion located there for its safety, too, had to shift to safety.Local people have accused the authorities of not acting on time to avert the disaster.Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, Khomraj Dahal, director general of Water Induced Disaster Prevention Department, told Kantipur that the disaster occurred due to lack of repair and maintenance of barrage. As per the Koshi agreement, India is responsible for operation and maintenance of the barrage.In another report, Sharad Yadav, leader of the Indian delegation currently in Nepal, said that Prime Minister Dahal has informed them about the inundation in Sunsari district caused by Koshi dam. He said both Nepal and India could solve the problem through proper management of the water in Koshi River while assuring he would raise this issue in the Indian parliament. Nepalnews.com __._,_.___ 
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