India floods: thousands still marooned

The Indian army and navy have stepped up efforts to rescue hundreds of thousands of people left marooned by floods.

Some villagers have been living on rooftops for days in eastern India and are now facing severe food shortages.

Aid agencies said the government of the impoverished state of Bihar should have done more to anticipate the disaster and plan relief operations in a region hit by monsoon flooding every year.

ActionAid said in a statement: "Lessons from the past disasters should be kept in mind while planning response. A long-term comprehensive response is necessary to deal with relief, recovery and disaster preparedness."

Three million people have been displaced from their homes and at least 90 killed by floods after the Kosi river burst a dam in Nepal, swamping hundreds of villages in Bihar and destroying 250,000 acres of farmland.

Hundreds of boats are being used to evacuate people but more are needed, while heavy rains over the past few days have hampered rescue and relief operations, officials said.

"Such is the extent of devastation that the forces deployed are proving too small," Pratyay Amrit, a senior state disaster management official, said.

The situation on the ground is getting desperate. Mohan Sharma from Supaul district said: "We don't have any more food grain stocks left, and me and my family are all chewing plants and leaves to stay alive"

TV pictures showed people fighting to get places in boats, as soldiers in life jackets tried to restore order.

Over 467,000 people have been evacuated so far, but there are thousands still marooned. It is also feared that the death toll could be many times higher than official estimates.

Some experts have blamed the floods on heavier monsoon rains caused by global warming, while others say authorities have failed to take preventive measures and improve infrastructure.

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