Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara: Bhojpur district administration remains indiffernt to the problems facing over six lakh flood affected people in the northern part of the district, who are clamouring for relief.
Though the officials claim that relief work is going on in full swing and the flood affected people were being attended too even in remote areas, people said the food packets distributed so far had proved a drop in the ocean. The district officials go with food packets and call the marooned people to come to them if they want to take food packets, the flood affected people alleged wondering how women and children could go to the officials wading through knee to chest deep water for food packets. Such people starve as they do not have any provisions to eat or cook. Cattleheads are left to the mercy of god. Obviously, resentment prevails among the flood affected people against the district administration. Flood has caused devastation under six blocks of Bhojpur district. Whenever anyone goes to the flood affected areas with food packets, people swarm around him and try to wrest the food packets from him.
Disaster Management Officer incharge, Bhojpur, informed that over six lakh population in 365 villages of 76 panchayat under six blocks of Bhojpur district has been devastated by flood in Ganga and Sone this year. He said 1,100 houses were damaged and about three dozen persons have so far drowned in the flood water. Dr Ashok Pandey and Dr T P Singh fear outbreak of epidemic in Bhojpur district if the district administration fails to take preventive measures. Meanwhile, thousands of farmers said that seedlings and standing crops in thousands of hectare of land had been destroyed in the flood.