Soon after the news of massive devastation by Kosi river in six districts of Bihar spread, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh swayamsevaks, started relief operation. They reached the affected areas with whatever relief they could arrange and first took the flood victims to safer places. Union Railway Minister Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav visited the relief camps organised by swayamsevaks on September 1 and praised their activities.
On September 7 Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishan also visited the Sewa Bharati relief camp in Saharsa and praised the relief activities.
More than 2000 swayamsevaks of Saharasa district and 500 workers from Purnia are engaged in the relief operation round the clock since August 19 under the banner of Sewa Bharati. Besides Sewa Bharati, various other RSS associated organisations and Sewa International also dispatched relief material to the affected areas. The swayamsevaks are also collecting food packets from the families as per the requirements. They provided food to the victims caught in far-flung areas with the help of makeshift boats. A total of 21 sub centres have been made in Kosi Vibhag alone. There are basically seven relief centres?Radhopura, Shanker Chowk in Saharasa, Bihariganj in Madhepura, Madhubani Chowk in Purnia, Shiv Mandir Chowk in Katihar, Sangh Karyalaya in Navagachhiya and Shishu Mandir in Farbisganj. A relief centre has been started by Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in Gulabi Bagh. Keeping in view the large scale devastation, the RSS has constituted a relief committee?Badh Pidit Sahayat Samiti, to collect and provide relief to the victims and also to rehabilitate them.
ABVP is also active in the flood relief activities since the very first day. It started food distribution centre from August 21 at Raghopur under Supol district, which is an adjacent district to Nepal. It also started relief camp from August 22 at Farbisganj under Araria district and another camp from August 23 at Saharasa, which is another worst affected district. The first medial aid centre was started on August 24 in Supol town.
The ABVP basically initiated relief operations in six districts. The Saharasa relief camp was one of the biggest camps held in the area. At the beginning around 1500 people had taken shelter in this camp. As water level coming down some people were shifted to safer places. Now more than 800 people belonging to very interior areas were staying in the camps.
(FOC)
