Bihars flood - result of Nitish govt negligence: Lalu

Patna, Aug 1 (UNI) RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately intervene into Bihar's flood situation and also alleged that this was proof of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "negligent attitude".

After an extensive aerial survey of the flood-affected areas, Mr Prasad, accompanied by Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and party national general secretary Shyam Rajak, told newspersons here that Mr Kumar neither took any initiative to prevent floods nor undertook relief and rescue operations in these districts.

''Instead of taking care of the flood-hit areas, Mr Kumar was enjoying his trip to Mauritius,'' he alleged.

Mr Prasad said that the flood situation was ''dangerously out of control'' and lakhs of people were facing crisis. He said the regions of Motihari, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Kosi belt of north Bihar presents an image of "ocean" and the people have taken shelter on railway tracks, platforms and embankments, he added.

In want of proper drinking water facility, lakhs of people were suffering from serious ailments, he maintained.

Mr Prasad further said that in several places road and rail communication has been totally snapped.

''In spite of this "grim" situation, the state government had yet not asked the Centre for help through its disaster management cell,'' he said adding that the Centre had already earmarked two batallions of specially trained soldiers for relief and rescue operation in Bihar.

Mr Prasad said he along with his party would request the prime minister to immediately intervene into the situation to provide relief in the affected areas. Mr Prasad said his party would do everything possible to provide relief to the flood-affected people.

UNI