Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara: Both Ganga and Sone maintaining receding trend even on Saturday notwithstanding, 365 villages of 76 panchayats under Ara, Barhara, Sahar, Bihia, Shahpur, Udwantnagar and Koelwar blocks in Bhojpur district are still marooned and flood water is flowing about three to four feet on several roads snapping their communication with the district headquarters for the last 10 days.
Over three dozen persons have been killed in the flood so far. Altogether 315 boats including 50 government boats have been pressed into service for rescue and relief operations. About 54,882 families of these blocks were displaced and have taken shelter at the government run relief camps. A population over 6,27,339 and 22,10 cattle heads have been affected by the flood in Bhojpur this year. With a view to expedite the relief work, the DM authorized the SDOs, DCLRs and COs to purchase polythene sheets and distribute them among the flood affected people.
Bhojpur DM Birendra Prasad Yadav along with other officials of Bhojpur district visited a number of flood affected areas under Barhara, Shahpur and Bihia blocks on Friday and directed the officials to do their best for the affected people. He also told the people to take help of the SDRF, if required. He also directed the officials to take special care of the children, women folk and elderly persons. He directed the officials to take the pregnant women to hospital without delay. The DM said that the government has decided to give soaps, washing soaps, surf, oil, mirrors, combs to each flood affected family. Besides they will get cash in lieu of 5kg rice and 50 kg wheat.
The DM directed the Civil Surgeon to arrange medical aid everywhere in the flood affected areas and also ordered for spray of bleaching powder in the flood affected areas to prevent outbreak of water borne diseases. He said each and every healch centre should be equipped with medicine, doctors, ANMs, anti-venom serum. The DM said that the CS will be responsible for maintaining health facility after the flood water recedes.
The DM has recommended action against the District Animal Husbandry Officer and also sought explanation from the District Statistics Officer for dereliction of duty. Meanwhile, the flood affected people complained that the district administration had failed to provide any relief to them. Neither any boat is pressed into operation nor any district official or medical teams are being sent to the flood affected areas, they complained.