While a Unicef team has taken care of the displaced people in Nepal, the Indian side tells a grim story. Some people from Birpur have crossed over to Nepal.

Supaul is the worst hit with 70 per cent of its area — under Basantpur, Pratapganj, Triveniganj, Chhatapur and Raghopur blocks — getting submerged. Basudev Kumar, a Lalpur resident at Birpur, narrated how his wife and in-laws were surrounded with water at Balua village, a VIP area of Disaster Management Minister Nitish Mishra. “Only 10 small government boats (carrying 15 people) have been operating in peripheral area of Birpur,” he said.

Thousands of people were still marooned in Bela, Bodh, Banaili, Bishanpur and Birwa villages. The link road from Bhimnagar to Birpur has been washed away at four places. Saharsa-Bipur, Madhepura-Purnea and Udakishanganj-Madhepura are partly submerged.

There were no signs of air-dropping of relief material. Locals said no helicopter had come on Wednesday. A doctor at the camp said the relief was not at all “satisfactory”. A flood victim complained that his family had not got any food for five days. “All these relief camp people come here at 11 pm. They treat victims very rudely,” said Rambahadur Thakur, a Lalpur resident.

People at four rehabilitation camps at Birpur-Madhepura Road said food packets were not distributed properly. “The packets are thrown at us, some get it and some do not,” said Mohammed Jaynul. Over 20,000 people are living at camps between Birpur and Raghopur. Over one lakh need to be evacuated in Birpur sub-division. While there are only 200 government and private boats, private boatmen are making money at the rate of Rs 2,000-4,000 a trip.

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