Anybody working/thinking for the Lakhs made homeless destitutes by Floods in Assam in 2004 and 2007 . India Adivasis enjoying assured good life+Bonus never get affected. And they just go into Assam forests when they become "PHALTOO labour". And Babulal Marandi or some such threatens to take dire action on Ministers not giving them Patta in Forest Land. Coming back to Oxomiyas wiped out every flood--who looks after them? Not MP's --they sleepThey can not walk straight-nor can make any speech in 5 years! Not State Govt. This Time Bhorot NOROH declared"Floods are NOT a serious issue to be discussed inthe assembly." You netters study what Dr Mishraji tells re Bihar. Tarun says -"All money goes for Guahati Development--on LOAN". MM> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:05:38 +0530> Subject: [WaterWatch] Bihar Floods of 2007 - 1> > Bihar Floods of 2007– 1> > Dinesh Kumar Mishra> > There is good news from the relief front from Bihar this year and> that is definitely a healthy sign for future. It is there because for> many years in the past, the relief scene used to be chaotic and 2004> flood relief scandal was the logical end of the goings on in relief> distribution. A slight change for the better is greeted with cheers> from all quarters. Providing relief is a state subject and the Central> Government helps the states in some ways in managing relief to the> flood victims. Twelfth Finance Commission has revised the standards> set for relief under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and recommended it to> be effective from June this year (2007). It is intended to glance> through the relief operations in Bihar in the backdrop of standards> and recommendations set by the Government.> > Government of Bihar submitted a memorandum for assistance to the> Central Government on 28th August 2007. By that time 9939 villages in> 225 blocks of 20 districts with a population of 20.4 million was hit> by floods. GoB anticipated that by the time the floods are over, some> 25 million people would be hit by the current floods. Some 515 persons> were killed in the floods (projected 600), 512,000 houses were> destroyed (projected 6 lakhs) and standing crops over 16.4 lakh> hectares was submerged till then. Besides, there was an extensive> damage to National and State Highways, breaches in embankments, damage> to health infrastructure, industries, fisheries, energy and cattle.> GoB had put its losses at Rs 8000 Crores and requested the Government> of India GoI for immediate help. Of the requested amount, over half> the demand (Rs. 4,130 Crores) was from the Disaster Management> Department (DMD) of the state to cover the costs of food assistance (> @ one quintal wheat/ rice for estimated 6 lakh families), house> rebuilding grant, distribution of polythene sheets, emergency cooked> food and deployment of helicopters etc. The other departments of the> state have put their demands separately.> > At the time of writing this article (23rd November 07) the floods> have hit 12,610 villages spread over 22 districts affecting a> population of 24.8 million. Standing crops over 16.63 lakh hectares> has been hit by flood that has affected 16.13 lakh animals killing> 1006 of them. Over 730,421 houses have been destroyed and 960 persons> have lost their lives in this year's flood according to the> information received so far. Obviously, the damage is much more than> what was anticipated on the 28th August and the memorandum that was> sent to the GoI will have to be revised.> > Before analyzing the quantum of relief that has gone into the flood> hit area of Bihar this year, let us glance through the provisions of> CRF. The general recommendations suggest that a flood victim would be> entitled to,> A compensation of Rs. One lakh to the next of kin for every deceased> person subject to certification by a competent authority.> Compensation packages for fully damaged pucca house- Rs 25,000/-,> Fully damaged kachcha house – Rs. 10,000/-, Severely damaged pucca> house Rs 5,000/-, Severely damaged Kachcha house – Rs 2,500/-,> Partially damaged pucca and kachcha house – Rs 1,500/-, Hut- Rs> 2,000/-> Compensation of Rs 35,000/- to any person injuring his eyes / limbs> with damage between 40 to 75 per cent. Beyond that the compensation> would be Rs 50,000/-> Compensation for grievous Injury with hospitalization up to one week> - Rs. 2,500/-. For hospitalization of more than a week, the> compensation would be Rs. 7,500/-> Lost clothing and utensils Rs 1,000/- per family.> Immediate sustenance – Rs. 20/- per adult per day and Rs. 15/ per> child per day for 15 days. This can be extended to 30 days in case of> extreme situation.> Rs 2/- per day per infant for additional nutrition as per ICDS norms> for a maximum period of 30 days.> De-silting of agricultural land with minimum sand casting depth of 3> inches - Rs. 6,000/- per hectare for small and marginal farmers.> Renovation of Fish Farm – Rs 6,000/-> Land lost due to changing course of rivers Rs. 15,000/- per hectare> subject to establishing the ownership.> An agricultural input subsidy of Rs. 2,000/- for small and marginal> farmers in rain fed areas and Rs. 4,000/- per hectare in assured> irrigation areas. Rs. 6,000/- agriculture input subsidy for perennial> crop. These benefits are also available to other farmers with a> ceiling of one hectare.> Subsidy for cattle lost as under (a) Milch Cattle like> buffalo, cow and camel Rs 10,000/-, (b) Draught Animal like Camel,> horse or bullock Rs 10,000/-, (c) Calf/ Donkey and Pony – Rs. 5,000/-> and (d) Sheep / Goats Rs. 1,000/-, Birds – Rs 30/ per bird.> Fishermen loosing their traditional craft, Partly – Rs 2,500/- +net;> Fully Rs 7,500/- +Net.> Besides, there are various other provisions that a flood victim is entitled to.> Similar assistance is available for other artisans like weavers etc> subject to certification from the competent authority.> > Let us glance through what has been done on the relief front in Bihar> till date (22nd November 2007). Grains (38,86,896 Qtls) have been> distributed so far while the flood hit families would be around 50> lakhs. If the floods hit the people in the month of July and it was> expected from the Government that it would feed the flood victims for> about a month, it is obvious that the grains did not reach all and> also it never reached them in time. Many families must have been> forced to arrange food for themselves. Despite this, one must> appreciate the effort of the Government because reaching grains to so> many people was, probably, never done in past. It has asked Rs. 945> Crores from the Center under this head. GoB had further asked the> Center a sum of Rs 60 Crore for ex-gratia payment to those families> who had lost their family members (projected 600) in this flood. GoB> has paid additional Rs 50,000/- to every such family from the Chief> Minister's Relief Fund which is a welcome deviation from the past.> > The Government suggests that it has distributed 3,77,707 numbers of> polythene sheets to the flood victims till date and it had written to> the Center for providing this material to 40 per cent of the flood hit> families, which according to its own submission should have been> around 2 million. Assuming that all the NGOs put together might have> distributed another 75,000 sheets (it is an ambitious estimate), those> given polythene sheets may not number more than 4.5 lakhs. This number> is less than 10 per cent of the affected families and it implies that> nearly 1.5 million families must have braved floods under open sky> amidst heavy rains that continued almost till the middle of September.> > For emergency expenses (Rs 20/- per adult and Rs 15/- per child) that> a person is entitled for, GoB has so far paid Rs. 84.05 Crores against> a demand of Rs. 1105 Crores made to the Center. This is just about 8> per cent of the requirement. Further, the GoB had asked for resources> for rebuilding 4.8 lakh houses ( assuming 80 per cent houses of the> six lakh damaged houses are kachcha and belong to poor) but the> number of damaged houses has gone up from an estimated number of 6> lakhs to over 7.3 lakhs. GoB had proposed that the sum of Rs 10,000/-> that was to be given to each family under this head be coupled with> the provision of Rs 25,000/- available under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY)> and rebuild better houses for Rs 35,000/- which would be better suited> to bear floods in future. Unfortunately, the state has provisions for> building only 60,000 houses under IAY. This would mean that nearly> 5.84 lakh houses will be left uncared for. GoB proposes to tap> resources from other departments to reduce the burden. Only time will> tell how many houses are finally constructed. It must also be noted> that all such houses cannot be built in North Bihar alone as the poor> live in South Bihar too.> > As far as CRF is concerned, there are no unlimited funds available> with it. In the past five years Bihar has received only Rs.123.66> Crores in 2000-01, Rs. 129.84 in 2001-02, Rs. 136.33 Crores in> 2002-03, Rs. 143.15 Crores in 2003-04 and Rs. 150.30 Crores in> 2004-05. GoB is supposed to add 25 per cent more to this sum to claim> the Central assistance. One can well imagine the gap that exists> between the available small funds to the tune of Rs. 150 Crores> against a demand of Rs. 8,000 Crores. Some money may be available> through the channels of National Calamity Contingencies Fund (NCCF)> but that too is drop in the ocean. The rest will have to be borne by> the state Government or by the affected family itself. GoB asserts> that it has spent all the money that it had with it (Rs. 850 Crores)> to meet the flood disaster this year and it has further spent a sum of> Rs. 250 Crores from other sources and has no money left to do any> relief any more unless some help pours in from outside. The Chief> Minister has requested the Center to allocate funds for that but such> requests have a history of getting ignored.> > Dinesh Kumar Mishra> Convener – Barh Mukti Abhiyan> Road No: 6B Rajiv Nagar> Patna 800024> Bihar> Mob: 9431303360> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> 23rd November 2007> > > > Yahoo! Groups Links> > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WaterWatch/> > <*> Your email settings:> Individual Email | Traditional> > <*> To change settings online go to:> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WaterWatch/join> (Yahoo! ID required)> > <*> To change settings via email:> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > <*> Your use of Yahoo! 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