Kosi Flood 2008 - An Overview by SSVK

Forwarded to the Portal by:Deepak Bharti, SSVK

Samajik Shaikshanik Vikas Kendra (SSVK)an NGO in Bihar illustrates the real picture of Kosi flood and the post disaster conditions in the state. The following article is an overview of Kosi floods - 2008 by SSVK. It reveals the ineffective handling and inadequate supply of materials by the Government in the flood hit regions. It also points out the activities done by various organizations and SSVK itself. A couple of tabular columns figures out the actual status of badly affected areas, relief camps, number of fatalities and the supply of materials. The report instructs how to react on such unfavorable conditions in the future.

An excerpt from the report is posted below, the entire report can be accessed through the designated link.

The Incidence

A human tragedy of unparalleled dimensions unleashed itself on millions residing in the 7 North Bihar Districts of Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, Saharsa, Purnia, Khagaria and Katihar due to a breach in the in the eastern Kosi embankment upstream of the Indian border at Kushaha in neighbouring Nepal on the 18th of August, 2008. Following the breach, River Kosi, often referred to as the “sorrow of Bihar”, picked up a channel it had abandoned over 200 years ago, drowning towns and numerous villages coming in the way of its newly acquired course, affecting more than 3 million people. Still worse this altered course now cuts through an area which ever since the construction of the eastern Kosi Embankment almost 5 decades ago had lived in the relative comfort of being flood protected. Unlike floods, this is not calm water but an angry torrent, making relief work very difficult.

The Impact

With the river virulently flowing through its new found course, lakhs of people were caught unawares. Apart from loss of land, crops, homes, human and livestock lives and massive damage to infrastructure; close to a million found themselves marooned .

Read more, download the entire report here (PDF): Kosi Floods 2008 An Overview by SSVK