-- Rakesh Pathak and Ram Chhabila

In the Mau district, hundreds of villages have been affected by the flooding of the river Tons. We visited Hilsa Kodra in the Kopaganj block.
 
More then 162 families were visited by our team. Almost all the villagers in this village belong to Scheduled Cates and backward communities.
 
The village has been flooded with water all around. Currently, more than 540 bighas of land has inundated. About 68 houses collapsed and two connecting roads to the villages have bore the brunt of the flood. The road is now virtually useless. This has resulted in commuting problems for the villagers. The only assistance that the government has provided thus far is a meager ration allowance. This includes 1.5 liters of kerosine, 6-10 kg rice, 6-10 kg potato, two match boxes and two candles. Some families also received two kilograms of gram and one packet of salt. People have lost their belongings and are on the verge of hunger. Such meager help from the government means nothing, and cannot support an average family for more than a few days.

There is also nothing for the animals to graze on and as a result they have all left the immediate locale. There is also a great fear of an epidemic spreading in the village.  In Eastern Uttar Pradesh, more than 1,000 deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis (brain fever) has already been reported, the majority of which were Dalit children. It is therefore important for the government to take urgent action on the issue and provide not only food but also medication and other assistance to the villagers to address their needs.