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Press Statement By New Delhi - August 27, 2008
The people of Bihar are reeling under one of the worst floods in recent history. The situation has become extremely grim particularly because River Kosi has unexpectedly changed course, inundating those districts of northern Bihar which were totally unprepared to face the fury of the flood. Over 11,000 villages and nearly 40 lakh people are reportedly affected by the flood. The devastation and dislocation caused by this calamity, especially in the districts of Saharsa, Saupal, Madhepura and Araria, are comparable to that of a Tsunami. The NDA Government in Bihar headed by Shri Nitish Kumar, who is ably assisted by Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, has responded to the challenge in a commendable manner. I demand that the Central Government treat this as a national calamity and bear the full burden of relief and rehabilitation operations. It cannot and must not be seen as a calamity of Bihar alone. I spoke to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh this morning and expressed concern over the flood-induced situation. I urged the Central Government to assist the State Government in every possible way in dealing with this extraordinary natural disaster. He assured me on this score and informed me that he was visiting Bihar for an on-the-spot survey tomorrow. There should be no politics in dealing with relief and rehabilitation matters. The first and foremost consideration of all political parties at this moment should be to save lives and alleviate the suffering of people. Wherever evacuation is needed, it should be effected urgently and smoothly. After the immediate tasks of evacuation and relief are over, the Central and State Governments, in cooperation with all the political parties, should seriously consider putting in place an effective long-term strategy about management of floods, which are ravaging Bihar, Assam and other states in northern, eastern and north-eastern India year after year. |
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