2007 Bihar flood

The 2007 Bihar flood, in August 2007, occurred in the east Indian state of Bihar. It was described by the United Nations as the worst flood in the living memory of Bihar.[1] Annual floods are common in Bihar,[2] but heavier than usual rainfall during the monsoon season led to increasing water levels. By 3 August, the estimated death toll was 41 people, and 48 schoolgirls were marooned in a school in the Darbhanga district.[3] By 8 August, the flooding had affected an estimated 10 million people in Bihar.[4] Army helicopters delivered food packets to Bihar residents, and 180 relief camps were established. By 10 August, aid workers in Bihar reported a dramatic increase in people with diarrhea[5] and by 11 August, flood-related deaths were still occurring.[6] The total number of deaths recorded in the 2007 Bihar floods was more than 1,300. This was the highest death toll in the state since the 1987 Bihar floods, in which more than 2,500 deaths were reported.[7]

2007 Bihar flood
Meteorological history
DurationAugust 2007
Overall effects
Fatalities1,287
Areas affectedBihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal

Incident

The states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were the most affected due to their high population density. Nearly two million people, spread over eleven districts in Bihar, were affected by the floods. Many major rivers, including the Ganges, Punpun, Bagmati, Gandak, and Kosi, flowed above the danger mark.

More than 40 per cent of the state of Bihar was submerged due to severe flooding, which was caused by rainfall in July that exceeded the monthly average over a 30-year period by a factor of five. The town of Darbhanga and its surrounding areas were among the most severely affected locations in the state, and roads leading to other areas were rendered impassable by the flood. Many residents were forced to seek refuge on higher ground, while others were marooned and unable to access assistance.[8]

Affected areas

The flood affected 19 districts of the state. Some of the worst affected districts were Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, East Champaran, Supaul, Darbhanga, Patna, Bhagalpur, West Champaran, Katihar, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sheohar, Nalanda, Khagaria, Gopalganj, Madhepura, Araria, and Begusarai.[9]

Impact

At least 4,822 villages and 10,000,000 hectares of farm land were affected. About 29,000 houses were destroyed and 44,000 houses were damaged by the floods. Thousands of people were shifted to places of safety, including relief camps.[9]

Response

The United Nations described the flood as the worst to occur in the living memory of Bihar.[10]

Relief work

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 and 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 losing their traditional craft, Partly – Rs 2,500/- +net; Fully Rs 7,500/- +Net. Similar assistance is available for other artisans like weavers etc. subject to certification from the competent authority.[11]

Assistance implemented

Grain (38,86,896 Qtls) distributed to affected families was around 50 lakhs. For emergency expenses (Rs 20/- per adult and Rs 15/- per child) that a person is entitled for, GoB had, till August 2008, paid Rs. 84.05 Crores against a demand of Rs. 1105 Crores made to the Center. This was just about 8 per cent of the requirement.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Floods: Helpless Bihar seeks PM's help".
  2. A CASE STUDY INTO THE BAGMATI FLOOD FORECASTING IN NORTH BIHAR, https://swat.tamu.edu/media/114999/f2_1_sharan.pdf
  3. "North India inundated". Hindustan Times. 3 August 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008. Last accessed 3 August 2007.
  4. "Hunger, disease stalk children hit by South Asia floods". AlertNet. Reuters Foundation. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  5. "Bangladeshi hospital struggles to cope with flood victims". AlertNet. Reuters Foundation. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  6. "Flood victims clash with police in India, 30 hurt". AlertNet. Reuters Foundation. 11 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  7. "Bihar's scary new flood".
  8. Jason Motlagh, "Floods devastate northern India state 20 million people affected and 4,000 die – officials blame onset of climate change", Chronicle Foreign Service, 5 October 2007, "Flooding has submerged more than 40 percent of Bihar, and Relief Commissioner R. Srivastava, citing government figures, said rainfall in July was five times higher than the monthly average over a 30-year span."
  9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Indian, The Logical (10 November 2015). "[Watch/Read] Displaced in 2007, Waiting for Compensation in 2015: A Bihar Story". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  11. Mishra Dinesh Kumar, Bihar Floods of 2007– 1, EPW, 23 November 2007
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