STILL A LONG WAY TO GO

At a time when Bihar government is contemplating on calling off the relief operations, UDAI volunteers have reasons to stay back in Bihar. Team 6 of UDAI programme of University of Delhi explored new areas at Deenapatti and Kumarkhand which are still isolated and completely cut off from the mainland due to flood water. Villages like Hanumanpatti, Bhelni, Khusropatti, Santhalpatti, Rampur etc. are still waiting for the responses not only from the Bihar or Central government but also from the Civil Society Organisations. A mobile medical unit of UDAI under the leadership of Dr. Priyadarsh went to the Deenapatti area and stayed there in the night to provide the medical intervention to the villagers. The team felt helpless when the villagers said that you are the first one to reach them. The similar was the response at Kumarkhand area where in some villages nobody has not yet gone to take care of the affected population. The callousness of the state needs no description at this juncture but more saddening part of the story is that the media is also hiding the facts. For national dailies it is a dead story now – stale. For the rest of the country, it was once – long back – that the flood had come in Bihar – around three months before. However, “… when we go to the field we count each and every second, and at the end of the day, I feel simply – HELPLESS, HOPELESS & WORTHLESS,” says Mr. Vinod Koshti, team leader of team 6. Bihar needs thousands of UDAI at this time to recover from the long-term damage. Let us all unite and consolidate our efforts so that no one feels at the end of the day – hopeless, helpless and worthless…