Bihar: Floods render 5 lakh homeless in Madhubani

MADHUBANI: Altogether, 329 villages of 52 panchayats in the district are reeling under the impact of flood. The worst hit blocks are Madhwapur, Bisfi, Laukhi, Madhepur, Benipatti and Basopatti.
Flood victims of Benipatti sub-division alleged that they have been left to fend for themselves and they are yet to get any relief from the state government. It is now over 10 days that they are taking shelter on the state highway (SH-52) after being displaced from their home in the recent flash flood.
However, some of the local NGOs have come forward to help the flood-hit people and are providing food.Suman Jha, a young man of Pali (Uttarbari tola) village under Benipatti sub-division said, “No relief, not even polythene sheets, have been provided. Some NGO workers distributed khichri one day.”
A little further west, near Basaitha-Sundarpur, one Surendra Mandal of Karhara panchayat, however, admitted that some polythene sheets and ‘chura-gur’ have been distributed among the flood victims. However, almost half of about 200 affected families are yet to get polythene sheets, he added.
He said everything has been destroyed in the floods, including their thatched houses.
DM Sirshat Kapil Ashok said about 5 lakh people of 15 blocks of the district have been affected. He, however, said the situation was completely under control and all adequate measures are in place to provide relief to the people. “So far, eight deaths have been reported,” he added.