On August 18, Kosi river in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar flooded.‚  Two weeks later, extreme flooding has reached either side of the India-Nepal border, affecting nearly 3 million and displacing over 150,000.

It is being described as the worst Indian flood in decades.‚  To give you an idea of the strength and seriousness of this flood (if the ‘three million’ doesn’t do it for you) try to comprehend this; the banks of Kosi blew and now the river itself flows 75 miles east of its original course.

The government of Bihar, as well as the federal government of India are being blamed for the size of the disaster, which could have been spanned a much smaller number of citizens.‚  They are distributing aid to citizens, (nearly two of the three million face displacement) as if it weren’t their responsibility, as if the aid were coming from a foreign nation as some sort of favor.

It is disturbing that hundreds of thousands of residents must flee their homes as waters rise and governments neglect their own people.

Food, shelter and medicine are three necessities for victims of this kind of disaster and the Indian government isn’t distributing them in abundance. The negligence is sad since dozens have already died, a number that will certainly rise in the coming weeks.‚  Also, over 225,000 homes have been completely destroyed.

For Americans, the ignorance of the Indian government resonates with their own; after New Orleans was struck by Hurricane Katrina three years ago.‚  Some Indians in the U.S. have already expressed outrage at how the situation in Bihar is being handled.

Soldiers and navy boats were commissioned to help save and transport many, however, the disaster is proving too grand; there are simply too many people and not enough boats.

Some residents, boat owners (or finders), are taking advantage of the situation, charging families to ride to safety and serenity.

CNN reports that half the state of Bihar is submerged under water, a size likened to the entire state of Delaware.

Water levels continue to rise in the region.‚  Little more is being done by the government to feed, sustain and save their own people.

About The Author

Sachin Seth is the Blast Magazine world news reporter. He writes the Terra blog. You can visit his website at http://sachinseth.com or follow him on twitter @sachinseth

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