Everyone here has lost so much at Bihar flood relief camps

…thing his family managed to salvage from the floodwaters that entered their home nearly a month ago. Apart from being a bed, the cot functions also as a chair, and a place to keep whatever remains of their belongings. “ Documents, cash, jewellery — everything was submerged, including the grain we had stored in drums, ” says the 25-year-old. Even as the elders try to come to terms with their losses, the district administration has come up with a different routine for children in the camps. (Express Photo by Himanshu Harsh) For…

…in the camps. (Express Photo by Himanshu Harsh) It could be a village compressed into a few hundred metres. A small crowd is gathered around two men locked in an argument. Suman Kumar, 23, says this is very common. “ Everyone here has lost so much. Emotions run high. Small disagreements can quickly escalate. ” Food is being served to the displaced at another building on the campus, Rabindra Bhawan. Incidentally, it is named after Rabindranath Tagore, who is known to have stayed here, with parts of Gitanjali, which earned…

…here, with parts of Gitanjali, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature, associated with his time in Bhagalpur. Story continues below this ad A control centre here monitors the feeding of around 250 families. “ We serve meals twice a day, ” says Hanish Kumar, a teacher volunteer, as dal-chawal and soyabean-aloo is ladled out. Even as the elders try to come to terms with their losses, the district administration has come up with a different routine for…

…For the last few days, Local artists have been teaching them Manjusha — the traditional art form associated with the Bhagalpur region. There are also storytelling sessions, cultural programmes and film screenings. “ We are trying to make the situation a little better for children through art therapy, ” says Bhagalpur district art and culture officer Ankit Ranjan. Story continues below this ad The programme, organised by the state art and culture department in collaboration with the district administration, is held…

…“Since we have been serving rice in all meals, those who prefer roti make it themselves,” says a volunteer. Adjusting the black sheet over his tent shared by 10 members of his family, Surya Narayan Mandal, 52, says: “ Whatever we earn every year, the Ganga takes it away. ” He is worried about two loans, amounting to around Rs 70,000-80,000, he took from self-help groups earlier this year. The money had gone into crops and other household necessities, much of which is now gone. Story…