Food packets in outer areas, exodus begins from interiors

Gwalpara (Madhepura), August 28: With food packets being distributed mainly in villages on the periphery of the flooded areas of the Kosi division, people in the interior areas where little or no relief has reached have started leaving their homes, carting whatever they can.

In Madhepura town, people are still holding out, confident that help will come their way. But in the surrounding villages where people have been without food and medical assistance, there is already an exodus.

The 22-km stretch from Madhepura to Saharsa is packed with people, some carrying suitcases, others pushing their cycles, still others herding their cattle. With no transport around, everyone is trying to make it on foot to safer places in Saharsa.

An estimated 20,000 people have left the flooded villages of Sadhua, Bhatni, Mangkar Rahi, Israin, Ram Nagar, Kararia, Ranipatti, Tenghraha-Bhokraha and Parsahi. Of the 11 flooded villages of Madhepura, the worst hit are Alamnagar, Gwalpara, Kumarkhand and Murliganj.

The number of boats are not enough to take people out — small boats pressed into service have managed to pull out around 500 people so far but the rest are not waiting any longer.

Water has also entered the low-lying areas of Madhepura town. The civil court, circuit house and the house of JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav are among those partly flooded. Even on the roads, there is three feet of water at some places.

The Singheswar-Birauli and Alamnagar-Sonamukhi roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana and over a dozen under-construction roads under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme have been damaged.