Kosi Revisited

Kosi Revisited

By Sudarshan Chhotray

Chin desh ka Nadi Hooyang Hoo…
Chin ka shoka kahayin….
Bharat ke Uttar Bihar mee...in…..
Nishtur Kosi Maa...Yaa...a...
Bolo Bhaya Rame hoo...Ram…Rame...Hooo…Ram…
       From… a folk song composed by the CHAHAK Vidyalaya Students in local Dehati dialectics.


 18th Aug 2008, will be remembered for years and generations together in North Bihar. The people of the region had not witnessed such a devastating flood ever in their lifetime, Nearly 35 lakh people in 900 villages spread over five districts of Madhepura, Saharsa, Soupol, Aararia and Purnia spent sleepless nights and horrifying situation for a couple of months after 18th Aug 2008.They were almost water logged even after flood waters receded. Were plying in boats to the nearest road point, living with relief materials and were sheltering in relief camps.

Only when the Bihar Govt closed down all relief camps in mid January 2009, people returned home. About 30 lakh people who had sought shelter in camps returned home. According to reports nearly one million people who have been living within Kosi embankments witness regular floods and experience uncertainty and distress.

              Though people along in Kosi River Bank live in constant fear almost in every monsoon days, last years floods proved worst, because of the breaches in embankments. The breach caused due to of the criminal negligence of officials who couldn't plugged the occurrences of breach or repair the embankment in time, that resulted, even in relatively less flow of flood water, could cause such a breach and such a huge damage, says, Dinesh Kumar Mishra of Barh Mukti Abhiyan,

He further added, because of that, more than 500 people died and millions rendered homeless, thousand acres of cultivable land silted and lakhs marooned in water. The situation was not so worse, when in the year 2007; at least 2.5 crore people of Bihar were affected by floods.

Not only the flood the aftermath was so frightening that only when one can visit the villages, would feel the shock, fifty years old Shital Mandal of Roata village died on after shock, when she learnt that her daughters have became homeless and penny less and are suffering begging in the streets, she developed hear attack and died and she has nothing to do for them. Her 10 member strong family had also lost every thing.

              Thirty eight years old Lalan Jha, a resident of Sukhasan village in Madhepur, recalls, “When I came to my village on 21st Aug, I was dumfounded, I couldn't recognize my village as it was not visible, water flowing every where. When I came closer, I found hundreds of people starring at me from a roof of a building half merged with water; I instantly recognized that was my home. Then with the help of Goonj, a Delhi based NGO's workers within three days we brought a boat to rescue my villagers, fifty percent of villagers shifted to a near by relief camp, rest sheltered in village school and buildings’ of landlords.

               Lalan further said, "During this emergency, Goonj had supported us with some food items, Woolen blankets and medicines- that actually saved the life of many villagers including infants and women ".

               Prakash Yadav of the same village, recalled, "my brother, Basu Saheba was suffering from snake bite during flood days, boat provided by Goonj, saved his life, we sifted him to a nearest health camp and he was treated properly".

               Fifty-five years old Hariom Swarnakar, said." "Winter kits and free medicines provided by Goonj, helped us in living with distress, when we had lost everything- home, stored crops, clothes and all personal belongings".

               Poonam Kumari, says, “After flood we got a new life with Goonj's support, at least we saved our dignity".

               Thirty years old Chandrika Devi who has five children, remembers, “by 21st Aug , our village was water logged with more than 5ft water, we were shifted to a nearest camp by a Navy boat which came after 10 days with Goonj’s help; spent almost two months in relief camp,. When we came back, we saw sand dunes every where nothing to plough or work, Goonj helped us reviving our livelihood by supplying Carpenter Kit".

When this correspondent travelled hundreds of miles across North Bihar’s flood affected areas and met scorers of victims during last month-all they were saying was inadequate government support and were narrating their struggle to rebuild their lost hopes and aspirations in life.

Though it has been a year after the devastating floods in Kosi River banks still in hundreds of villages mounds of sandy dunes deposited in paddy fields, electricity is not restored, Roads are not repaired properly. Few villages in Madhepura and Soupol are still not accessible.

While speaking to this correspondent Anshu Gupta the founder Director of Goonj, said, “The priority now is the restoring livelihood of millions who have lost every thing, that’s why we have started three pronged strategy-Sramadan, Wapasi programme and Chahak Schools”.

Through Sramadan villagers are taught to restore road connections to the village and constructing bamboo bridges where and when required. Through Wapasi people especially artisans, daily wage earners and business men/women are provided with artisan kits and materials to start their traditional profession or a new business. Through Chahak Center Schools makeshift classrooms are being constructed with people’s Sramadan and School going children are given primary education.

“All this are done to complement and strengthen government system and to set an agenda for an alternative development approach with the support and strength of the people”, says, Shivaji Chaturvedi a development activist of the area. 

In the village Sukhasan, people along with Goonj workers constructed a 250 ft long bridge with bamboos over the village Nallaha which was washed away in the floods. It helped 200 odd families sitting the other side of the village and also helped five more villages to connect to the Purnea-Saharsa high way.

Amrendra Ram of the village said,”We had constructed the bridge with 10ft deep water.”

Dev Narayan Singh, the village elder looked smiling all along when I met him, saying, Sir, it has really relieved the villagers as we can now go anywhere to the nearest market to brought essentials, to visit relatives, helped farmers to go to their land etc. Not only are these, children of this side of the village now attending Chahak School.

Munni Devi, with her four children, had lost every thing; she was moving here and there to feed her children as she has nothing to wait for husband’s money order, who had left for Punjab after the flood. Seeing her sufferings Goonj had provided her all materials to open a Tea Stall and villagers made a makeshift house/shop near the bamboo bridge. Now Munni Devi is a relaxed mother, she is earning not less than Rs.150 per day, sending her children to School, her elder son who had left school after floods is now continuing his study in class 7th, only daughter is reading in class 6th and other two sons have got admitted in Chahak School.

When asked Munni Devi, says, “Now I am feeling that I am not nobody in the village, I have become somebody, all these credit goes to Goonj”.

Similar is the story for Kripananda Sharma, a Carpenter by tradition and profession. Kripanda who is a physically handicapped was maintaining his family with his meager income from his profession and landed property that have been rented out for sharecropping. Before floods he was well enough to support the study of his two sons both are reading in Purnea College. Suddenly floods in Kosi changed his life-his land became submerged in flood waters and tons of sand deposited inside, his home collapsed and so are his instruments of carpenting, boys came back home leaving the study half way.

In this time of his distress Goonj came to his rescue, provided him with all belongings to restart his work as a carpenter in his home. Now Kripananda family is heaving a sigh of relief, maintaining the life as usual, has asked his sons to continue the study.

Laxama Rishidev recalls how 37 families of their community lost every thing even her husband who washed away ashore in the flowing waters. They are now staying in makeshift huts on the village road. Their earlier settlement now has turned to a tiny river with 40-60 ft deep water. Goonj has facilitated in arranging working kits for them, like Barber kit, washerman kit, Mazdoor kit, confectionary kit and cosmetics kit for many of them. Now many of them are earning livelihood through these professions and running their families.

Goonj’s Chahak School in Village Sukhasan which was established in 25th November 2008 has drawn nearly 300 children. Most of the students are from labour class families. They are fully dresses by Goonj. That’s why they don’t look like children from poor family. Though Goonj has facilited everything from textbooks, pen, pencil, slate, notebooks all it need is the furniture and a pucca building. Teachers of the School are sincere and time bound. The teachers teach according to the latest syllabus and on new and scientific methods, they teach the way students can impart good and quality education and best of joyful learning’s. When people of the village came to know that their children can develop to their expectations they have started cooperating the School teachers and management.

Bidydhar Mandal of the village, said, “We are over pleased and wish well for Chahak School”.
Chahak- the name denotes the curiosity of the people and students. Chahak means interest, attraction and curiosity for education.

When asked, Sangita Kumari, the School teacher, says, “Now our students can compete with any government or private School students booth among rural and urban Schools. They are well equipped with general education and General Knowledge”.

Sangita Kumar further added, “You can now feel there are no students in the village out of school, all have admitted to school even girls. Earlier they were rearing goats, cows and were assisting their parents in cultivation or were engaged in household work, taking care of their brothers or sisters”.

Apart from Wapasi and Chahak programme Goonj has involved village women in Blanket making, thousands of women are taught with the art. Earlier Goonj was purchasing one blanke, leaving other two for her family use, out of three a housewife stitches. Now Goonj has made it mandatory to purchase each and every Blanket, paving the way for village women to support their family financially, so, that they will be empowered and confident, says, Anshu Gupta of Goonj. 

 With each and every passing day, though, few villagers have learnt the art of Resettlement & Reconstruction of their own village with the help and guidance of the organizations like Goonj, they have thousand miles to go in rebuilding and restoring their hopes and confidence. Only when government will draw a long term action plan and implementation strategy with the help of civil society organizations and villagers they will be get relaxed.