Centrino Posted August 29, 2008 Posted August 29, 2008 See flood is usual thign in bihar and going by all the relief pakcage being diled in last 2 years of Nitish Kumar I can vouch for one thign he is efficient in that and has made sure corruption on the msot part is non-existant.. last year he distributed 100 kg foodgrains and 2000 rs across the board in flood affected areas.. even my father was offered which he donated to my driver Md Ali.. So i am aure the eventual aid package will be delivered but point is the instantaneous rescue misison for which govt doesn;t seem to ready at all .. given they were taken by total surprise.. thsi is not your normal flood. this is disaster Thanks thats good to hear. On the immediate relief looks like the army is out there (not sure if in all areas) but here is a good article on current army operations
suma25 Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 the flodd situation is gonna worsen tomorrow nepal has released additional water from its kosi barrage and says its unfortunate it delayed repairs on the barrage meanwhile those within india or outside india wanting to help here are some links which you might find useful http://www.savethechildren.in/index.html http://biharfloodrelief2008.blogspot.com/
sandtest Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 DR, glad to know well being of your near and dear ones. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Such lowest level of corruption makes me puke more than anything else...How low we can fall is evident. This corruption cannot be removed by any legislation or law from UP-Bihar, it's alsmost like radical wahhabism, only brutal extermination is the cure. NGOs are the latest breed of corruption viruses growing in north India...I know two folks in UP who have registered NGOs with the help of local "Jila Parishad" representative only to make money out of grants given to them.:angry_smile: Apocalypse Now With every passing minute, Mithilesh Singh, district fisheries officer, Parwanghat, Madhepura, was rising in his lackey’s eyes. So he even took the liberty, when asked, of passing Singh off as a magistrate as his saab stood at some distance from the army trucks, barking into his cellphone, convinced of the centrality of his own importance and of the moment. “The relief material is slowly coming in, but it’s coming,” he says, even as villagers are taking the first steps to rebuild a ‘home’ on the road. “It’s more important to save people than give relief,” he says. Floods in Bihar are not the biggest show on earth, but they’re a spectacle nonetheless. One Pankaj Kumar had rolled up his trousers to wade 10 km through water to go to Murliganj “to see” his Bade Papa. But he will not get close. Murliganj is 8 ft under water. Pankaj’s concern for his grandfather is not unmixed with a desire to be part of the spectacle. “You’ll get great pictures in Dinapatti,” he advises. Each time floods come to Bihar, it’s halla bol. Floods mean funds. Every year, embankments break and a disaster looms. This year, it’s a catastrophe. “This time there are only two choppers. Last August, there were 12…,” sighs a resident watching the developments on TV. “People make crores in the name of floods. The most expensive music systems and LCDs are sent to top bureaucrats once the noise dies down. When the waters recede, it is the time for NGOs to get into the aid racket,” says a local photographer who had witnessed an airdrop few days back. “If you see the flood area, count the districts, consider the population and count the food packets, you’ll understand the percentage of people who actually get help.” Everyone loves a good flood. That’s the tragedy of it. And the horror. Families on the outskirts of Madhepura are folding up their lives, locking up their homes, piling utensils in their verandas, and going to temples for prayers as a last stop before getting into a rickshaw to go away. The orderly manner in which they chart their own displacement is unnerving. Mohammad Sadru of Zurgama village, whom we meet on the road hut-tutting his pack of buffaloes, is surely his government’s ideal subject. “If the water had come in the morning, it would have been better. I would have been able to save my family,” he says. “But it rose at night. Didn’t CM saab say we had to run for our lives?” Rescuing the elderly is another big hurdle. Samid Hora of Choupal has left his elderly parents behind because they didn’t want to leave. “‘Come for us only when the water is neck-deep,’ they said.” He has been pleading for the last two days with army rescuers to return, but it’s always the same answer: No space. “The boats are not going into the interiors. When we offer to go along, they say we are only thinking of our families while they are thinking of saving entire villages. How will that help my father and grandfather?” asks Raj Kumar, a student who has been waiting for money from home and now will not sit for his Class 12 exams. A yearly revisiting of tragedy is, perhaps making people lose their minds. A woman pumping a tubewell on the main road is oblivious that the snout is under water. Her family watches solemnly. No one is laughing. In many ways, Madhepura is among the best of Bihar. It’s hospitable and the language is sweet. Flood victims are being fed at roadside dhabas for free. Coal is in short supply because of the rising water, and bread is being baked on wood fire. Where it falters is in hero worship. The town in Pappu Yadav’s constituency has several icons — from Hanuman to socialist leader BP Mandal of Mandal Commission fame. A lot is riding on peepuls, though. In Sonepur ratta, 40 people — nearly half a locality — are up on a peepul tree. But on the 12th day of the floods, villagers have begun to complain. The administration’s steamers are faulty. Its fans give trouble. There are middlemen who demand Rs 1,000 for a seat in the boat, they say. There’s no need to make a big deal about the poor surviving in these circumstances. Most of it is accompanied with a loss of dignity. Enquiries about missing relatives are returned angrily. “How do I know about your child? Let’s make you DM for a day and then see… .” shot a rescuer to a woman he had just saved. Her eyes are streaming. Her village is under water. The floods have taken away her home. And her husband is missing as well. She lets out a scream: “It’s the end of the world. We will all die…” One thing’s for sure, we will all be watching. http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?sectionName=IndiaSectionPage&id=12ff9a47-0d25-4370-b132-2b7fdc5cc8a8&&Headline=Apocalypse+now&strParent=strParentID
sandtest Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 That river changing her course reminds me of Sharda and Sharyu river in eastern UP, particularly Sharda changes her course and many loose their lands once the flood is over. Long back government has put a plan to survey, mark the land and recording at Tahsildars office and redistribution once the flood is over, but again same old beurocracy, corruption and babudom at government offices makes sure that farmers pay some amount to those low-lifes at Tahsildars office to get their own land back. many appear in highly competitive PCS level exams in UP exactly for this reason so that they can get postings at Tahsildar, Sub-Registrar level position and make money for life long time....such is the deep respect for corruption in our psyche. :((:hatsoff:
sandtest Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 And once the rain is over, another major problem is spread of diseases. particularly after heavy rain, the heat becomes more scorching and atmosphere seems stuffy with more humidity and moisture in air. many people in eastern UP get some kind of skin projection (ulcer) called "Phunsi" which affects almost 20% people in villages, pretty painful at times. Wonder this happens every year and yet no medical research/precautionary medicines by government agencies over this.
THX_1138 Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 is there a relief fund that we can contribute into? my mum said the prime minister's relief fund is ideal, but i wanted your opinions first.
Guest dada_rocks Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 You can help Flood Victims of Bihar by sending cheques to 'Chief Minister Relief Fund, Bihar' A/C No. 10839124928, SBI Secretariat Branch, Patna. Address: Chief Minister Secretariat 4 K.G. Deshratna Marg, Patna -800001 Bihar Disaster relief State Control Room Number: 91-612-2217305/2215027/6452572 You can also contact Ajay Jee ( a very honest down to earth person) at : editor@bihartimes.com Please be genrous and don;t worry it's not Laloo adminstration that your money will find its way to some numbered account in Switzerland. bihar presently is being administered by two queaky clean guy viz a viz corruption nitish Kumar and Sushil modi
THX_1138 Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 You can help Flood Victims of Bihar by sending cheques to 'Chief Minister Relief Fund, Bihar' A/C No. 10839124928, SBI Secretariat Branch, Patna. Address: Chief Minister Secretariat 4 K.G. Deshratna Marg, Patna -800001 Bihar Disaster relief State Control Room Number: 91-612-2217305/2215027/6452572 You can also contact Ajay Jee ( a very honest down to earth person) at : editor@bihartimes.com Please be genrous and don;t worry it's not Laloo adminstration that your money will find its way to some numbered account in Switzerland. bihar presently is being administered by two queaky clean guy viz a viz corruption nitish Kumar and Sushil modi lol you beat me to it. i will email ajay jee (is that his last name?). do you know him? if so, do send him an email or something before 10am IST so that he can have a bit of a heads up. i will talk to our local indian student body and see if we can organize a fund raising like they did at the time of the gujurat earthquake.
Guest dada_rocks Posted September 3, 2008 Posted September 3, 2008 http://biharigroup.googlepages.com/ http://biharfloodrelief2008.blogspot.com/ If you want to be doubly sure that your money gets used properly then use above mentioned our group.. We have successfully completed few projects without much hiccup.. You can give my reference although there is no need for it whatsoever.. Vouch for the well intetion and honesty of each and every from the group and have seen it through their seamless efforts during projects like schools for blinds. I have not met any of those guys but we have been communicating through mail.. For the time being biharigroups is providing relief first hand..S omnepone from the group personally delivers the relief goods. it has been decided if soemhow we are not able to utilise all the fund raised then it will be transferred to CM relief fund.. How to transfer donation? There are three ways you can support the flood relief activity. 1) By sending your donation to below account numbers. The funds collected will be used to purchase necessary items (Our team working at ground zero keep sending us list of items which they need for flood relief work). Items thus purchases are send to Chandan who is leading the efforts from Patna. Online –Transfer your donations to ICICI bank Name: Ashok Kumar Sharma, A/C Number: 005301022273, Branch: Jayanagar/Bangalore Please mention flood relief and your name in remarks section while transferring funds Also mention your name in the comments (will help us track). After transfer send an email with the transfer details to ashok.1857@gmail.com We will send you a confirmation for the same. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sending donations through NGO (Prayaas). Institutional Donor and as well as individual can donate via our Sister NGO PRAYAAS http://www.prayaas.org/ PRAYAAS Contact No: 91-80-28441463 Please mention flood relief and your name in remarks section while transferring fund. Mention your name in the comments (will help us track)Send an email with details to: Amitesh.Bharti@in.bosch.com make a CC to: ashok.1857@gmail.com Account in on the name of: M/S Prayaas Current Account No. : 10447347087 Bank Address : State Bank of India, Indiranagar, Bangalore Bank Code : 3301 Routing Number (Swift No.) : SBI NIN BB 147A MICR number : 560002021 Prayaas Official Address: Mr. Amitesh Bharti,Prayaas®, C1-201, GreenWood Regency,Doddakannahalli village,Carmelaram PO, Adj. Wipro,Sarjapur Road,Bangalore – 560035, India. If you want to send a cheque/DD:Please send the crossed A/c Payee cheque in favour of,"SBI, A/c Prayaas, Current A/c No. 10447347087"
Lurker Posted September 3, 2008 Posted September 3, 2008 Thanks for the link DR. I am trying to get in touch with Red Cross. They do have an International fund but I just want to make sure the money goes to Bihar. They have told me they will check with Indian chapter and get back. If I do hear from them I shall post the link.
Guest dada_rocks Posted September 3, 2008 Posted September 3, 2008 lol you beat me to it. i will email ajay jee (is that his last name?). do you know him? if so, do send him an email or something before 10am IST so that he can have a bit of a heads up. i will talk to our local indian student body and see if we can organize a fund raising like they did at the time of the gujurat earthquake. have interacted with him on mail in last couple of years.. Jee is just a suffix used as a word of respect.
Guest dada_rocks Posted September 3, 2008 Posted September 3, 2008 [url=http://imageshack.us][/ Scale of devatstaion can be gauged through this picture.. Many villages fall right into the river bed of new Kosi streams.....God knows how those folks will resurrect their lives.. Imagine your house wiped out and a full blown river flowing where your home earlier stood......
CC1981 Posted September 4, 2008 Posted September 4, 2008 I want to contribute money but for something else entirely. DR, THX, you guys seem to have knowhow in Bihari politics. Can you please find out if there is any program or desire to do something about Kosi itself - Bihar's sorrow has plagued Bihar for too long, we need some solutions regarding fixing its course - which is logistically and financially challenging, but not unfeasable ( dredging, embankment support, etc. all help out to stabilize a river's course). The kosi used to flow through the current area ( as in after the floods,new course) a few hundred years ago and it has changed courses several times. We need to do something about stabilizing Kosi so that a disaster of this magnitude doesnt happen again - we may even need to involve the Nepali government for any permanent solution, but i am open to donate a fair bit of my time, any knowhow and finances i can spare on this topic- would deeply appreciate if you guys could find out anything about such a project/planning initiative or atleast, what channels to approach for such a task.
Guest dada_rocks Posted September 4, 2008 Posted September 4, 2008 The details for the SWIFT transfer are : A/C Name: "Chief Minister Relief Fund, Bihar" A/C No: 10839124928 Bank: State Bank of India, Secretariat Branch, Patna. Branch Code: 153 Address: 'SINCHAI BHAWAN' City/State: PATNA, BIHAR Pincode: 800015 Swift Code: SBININBB156 IFSC Code: SBIN0000153 Phone: (0612) 2206684, 2224889 Email: sbi.00153@sbi.co.in
dial_100 Posted September 4, 2008 Posted September 4, 2008 DR, it is good to hear everyone in your fam is safe.
Desi Cartman Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 More bad news :(( The overall flood situation in Assam worsened on Thursday with thousands of people being rendered homeless. ( Watch ) The authorities are also trying hard to save endangered animals which have taken refuge on National Highway 37 after Kaziranga National Park was inundated. At least four animals have been killed by the speeding vehicles in the last two days, while a rhinoceros has drowned in flood waters. The authorities said so far 12 lakh people have been displaced in the state. This is the third time since June 1 that Assam has been ravaged by rising rivers. So far, 17 people have died due to the floods.
suraj Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 Bihari techies unite to help motherland Bihar's tragedy has become the nation's sorrow. This is a calamity that has claimed countless lives. But sitting hundreds of miles away is a group of people who are using technology to bring the world to Bihar's help. They are the techies from the state. These techies have become a solid online taskforce that's in touch with the ground realities of their home state. They are raising money to buy things that Bihar's flood-hit millions actually need. "We got requirement from the ground situation for baby food. People are happy that my money has gone to buy baby food for a hungry child," said Sarvesh Upadhyay, an IT professional. And because there are no geographical borders in cyberspace, their word on the web is reaching out to the world. "There was this American guy who mailed us on our website, saying 'I am devastated by this disaster. Tell me how can I help?'" another techie Divyanshu Verma said. In fact, the technological edge that the cool Biharis have has helped them reach out to donors in newer and newer ways. "There is Internet on the mobile. We are working out ways so that by just sending an SMS, a little sum is deducted by service providers like Bharti and Airtel who then divert the money to the Chief Minister's relief fund or the Prime Minister's relief fund," said Naveen, an IT professional from Bihar. These techies from Bihar, spread across different countries, have managed to raise lakhs of rupees in cash, putting out the day-to-day transactions transparently on their blogs and sites. This is a heartwarming indicator of how technology can be a tool in times of tragedy http://publication.samachar.com/pub_article.php?id=2600406&navname=General&moreurl=http://publication.samachar.com/ndtv/general/ndtv.php&homeurl=http://www.samachar.com/mostread.php
Guest dada_rocks Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 Oke a request to all and sundry here ( my sworn enemies included) please write to the respective branch of red-cross with an appeal to check the epidemic break out whihc always follows this level of flood. You don't have to like me to do this since you won't be helping me, I personally need no help. I am adding these words because on another forum some people raised this question in reply of my appeal, needless to say I have always had problem with popularity:-) But please do write to them so that they at least start collecting fund in that flood aid's name. I guess we can trust at least red-cross. I am writing this because I have talked to my HR and they were little hesitant to raise and channel money through any other organization. PS: This forum has been good in that regard so if those words offend anyone I am sorry in advance.
suraj Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 PATNA: A youth was killed in Bihar's flood-hit Saharsa district when he fell into the floodwaters and got washed away while trying to catch relief packets being air-dropped by an Indian Air Force helicopter, an official said on Friday. Amarjeet Kumar Singh, 21, a resident of Dehad village in Saharsa fell into the floodwaters and drowned on Thursday. Singh, along with half a dozen youth of the village, was waiting for the relief packets to be air-dropped by helicopters. "He slipped and got washed away in the high currents of the flood waters," police said. A similar incident was reported earlier this week in Madhepura. This is really sad.
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