"Voices From the Waters" is an international film festival on water happening in Bangalore between 13th and 18th September. As part of the festival a special seminar on the Kosi is being organised on the 18th. Quoting from the flyer: Experts have said that the flooding was not simply an act of nature, and that the failure of the Indian authorities played a large part in the making of the disaster as the river's flood defenses have once again failed the people of Kosi. Reports of relief not reaching the large section of the poorest communities are grim reality for us all. According to D K Mishra, a flood expert and author of many publications on the Kosi river, “the worst is yet to come. When the water recede, the people of Kosi will get to know how much of their land is sand cast, how much is waterlogged and Kharif is already lost and the chances of Rabi being affected are high as moisture of the land will not allow for ploughing, affecting immediate agriculture. No explanation of this disaster will satisfy the hapless victim of the tragedy” At the seminar you will hear from experts working in Bihar for over 30 years to help us not only understand the why, of the floods but also to discuss the process of continuous social audit to ensure that funds/relief/rehabilitation reach all the affected communities of Bihar. The GOK Disaster management Centre will discuss the role of DMC in managing disasters. The seminar will bring together the Bihari community in Bangalore to appraise them of institutions and civil society groups working with flood victims, the mechanisms for help and how the communities can directly engage in solution seeking.
India Water Portal is an Arghyam initiative