India's Katrina

We all thought that July 26 2005 was a watershed day in India. On that day, Mumbai witnessed flooding after 944 mm of rain. But, the floods in Bihar have overshadowed the disaster which struck on July 26 in Mumbai. Most of northern Bihar which borders Nepal, is virtually underwater. It takes us back to the flooding which occured in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005. Now, the floods in Bihar have similar overtones with the disaster that struck New Orleans.

Most parts of the state were underwater, due to the Leeves bursting and the water gushing through the Leeves during the initial storm surge. In Bihar, the Kosi river burst its banks, leading to the waters flooding the entire northern part. In one report on a news channel, the measured the Kosi river to be 32 kilometres in width after the flood. There was no wall to even protect the villages as the waters rose in the initial floods. Now, like New Orleans, the treath of disease and epidemics is raging. At the same time, we have also witnessed the criminal negligence by the Bihar government and the surrounding politics made by the opposition and other parties.

The ordinary villagers continue to live in conditions where ordinary people may not live. But, they have lost everything, and thus they hope that relief and normalcy of some kind awaits them. But, for most of them, they have lost everything, and it will take more than donations from the rest of the country to ensure that life returns back to normal in Northern Bihar.

Now, the future is far from reassuring. Many experts have now warned that due to the floods caused by the river Kosi, the lands which were engulfed in the floods would become barren and unproductive for growth. This would be a big disaster for agricultural production, thus ensuring that India's agriculture suffers in the long run. With high inflation and high food prices, the floods have only made the situation worse for ordinary people, not only in Bihar, but in other parts of the country. The tragedy is that this problem cannot be seen on the surface, but it is like a slow creeper that chokes the life out of the citizenry in the coming time.

Global warming is an issue, and safety along rivers that cause destruction in the rains is also a big issue. oSome experts have warned that a similar fate can strike Jhansi because of the Chambal river, in case of heavy rains as witnessed in Bihar. Will the government and citizen groups look up on this threat and take measures. If India needs a kickstart to their disaster management plans, then this is the starting point. No longer shall a country wait for a disaster to happen and then suggest remedies. It is time for India to ensure that disaster management and other safety precautions are taken so that situations like those in Bihar do not arise again.

The country has seen another effect of tampering with nature. It is now about time that we respect nature and ensure such kind of things are stopped, so that they dont arise again. For the moment, the author can only helplessly side with the victims, but cannot feel their pain, because i am in the comfort of a chair and trying to create awareness. Actions have to be take on these words, only then can people and their surroundings can be saved.