Loot of edibles continues in flood-hit Bihar

The loot of edibles continued for the third consecutive day on Friday even as in the worst floods to hit Bihar.

Reports of looting came in from Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Seohar districts on Friday morning. Inadequate relief and scarcity of food materials is being cited as the reason though not in all the cases.

Sources in the district administration of Sitamarhi and Darbhanga said that some people had embarked on a looting spree in the garb of scarcity of relief materials.

In Darbhanga alone, 240 quintals of wheat and 107 quintals of rice were looted from government godowns in the last 48 hours. "The looting has been going on for the last four days," said a district official.

The police has arrested eight persons and tightened security at government godowns as well as business establishments.

Also Read Bihar floods affect nearly 10 million, toll 73 Riots break out in flood-hit Darbhanga district Assam: 10 dead in Guwahati landslides

After airlifting girl students of the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital whose hostels were flooded, the army is set to airlift over 500 students of the Navodaya Vidyalaya in Pachaadi in Darbhanga district.

Sources in the state government said the army was directed to intervene after Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development M A Fatmi, who represents Darbhanga in the Lok Sabha, expressed concern over the delay in rescuing the students marooned for the last five days.

The entire campus of the school run by the HRD ministry is submerged. However, all the students are safe. Bihar's chief secretary K A H Subramanian told rediff.com, "The army is likely to undertake this operation on Friday."