Subject: Relief for Kosi Flood victims in Bihar

 Dear friends,

Kosi river breached its banks upstream in Nepal flooding submerging various villages and towns in the floods. Kosi river floods in Bihar has claimed many lives and leaving millions marooned. The flood water have smashed houses and destroyed around 100,000 hectares of farmland. Over 30 lakh  people in 16 district are in the grip of floods, with 23 lakh in worst hit Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, and Araria districts alone. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has termed the flood fury as ''national disaster'' and announced a Rs 1000 crore relief package, besides despatching 1.25 lakh tonnes of wheat and rice for distribution among flood victims of 16 flood-hit districts.

The breach in the Kosi embankment near Kusaha in Nepal had forced the river to change its course, for the first time since the 1950s. Many of the marooned people are without food and though attempts have been made by the Government to drop food supplies and medicines by air, many marooned people are complaining of inadequate Government help. Some of the people are also scared of the epidemic diseases that can occur in the days ahead.

According to Disaster Management Department sources, army jawans continued to assist in massive evacuation and relief efforts, as over 1.12 lakh people were lodged in 162 relief camps set up by the State Government and many more in those run by NGOs. The Army is trickling in but they have not yet reached remote areas they are concentrating on the more accessible areas. So there are many people who have not been reached yet. The situation is desperate for many people, we are seeing people hanging on to bamboo trees waiting to be rescued. How long can they wait?

Adding vows to the already devastated Bihar flood victims, the swollen Kosi River breached its embankments of the Jankinagar Branch Canal (JBC) in Purnia district on 30^th August. According to official sources, the flood water was fast submerging villages in Dharhara Kothi, Dhamdaha and Bhavanipur blocks of the district.

According to ANI, so far about 85 people have been killed and over two million are displaced by floodwaters. The dead toll is expected to rise as the flood has brought along with it various diseases. Cases of diarrhoea were reported from many relief camps in the state.

At present there is specific need of  unprocessed foods, clothes( Saree, Dhoti, Lungi )  chlorine tablets, bleaching powder, medicines( Paracetamol, Avil, Cetragen, Metrigyl, Voveran, ORS packets, Peadiatric Drugs- Cough Syrup, metrogyl syrup,Ibugesic,syp,domperidome, and others) to combat water borne diseases,   processed and unprocessed foods, clothes, and monetary relief for building shelters. All types of Volunteers can come for few days- team of doctors, Nurses, were esp required.

Financial support-

Donations in India- Please send /cheque/draft in the name of

 (Deenbandhu Samajik Sanstha,) and for cash pl contact Koshi(Bihar) Baadh Peerit sahayata samooh volunteers- ( This a  voluntary group of Individuals, representatives of N.G.O, Peoples organizations) contact given below.

 (Kindly send your full name & address with the contribution for

 receipt/accounting purpose. (All donations to Deenbandhu Samajik Sanstha in India are tax exempted u/s 80 G of IT act.)

 For  Support and contribution  please contact the following:

Amulya Nidhi- 9425311547, Dr G.D Verma- 9424065989

 Katihar,(Bihar)- Dr P.C Srivastav/ Bindu Srivastav- 9431814257-

Supaul ( Bihar) Govind Jha- 9431449116

Delhi-  Dr Ashish Gupta- 09958677133, Rajesh Jha- 09971248282

Indore- Rakesh Chandore- 9425090415, Chinmay Mishra-9893278855, Rajendra Bajore-9893403842,

Pune- Dr Dhananjay – 9422526702

Bangalore/ Chennai-  Dr Rakhal-9940246089, Sr lalitha-  945529159