50,000 Villagers in Flooded India Refuse To Leave
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
PATNA, India — At least 50,000 people have refused to abandon their homes in flood-ravaged northern India despite pleas by authorities to evacuate, an official said yesterday.
Newspaper advertisements also urged thousands of flood survivors yesterday to go to one of 77 state-run camps set up in Saharsa district in impoverished Bihar state, where clean drinking water, food, and medical care was available.
At least 50,000 people have refused to leave the district, one of the worst-affected areas in Bihar, a state disaster management official, Prataya Amrit, said. Towns and villages in the flooded region are home to about 1.2 million people.
Disaster officials have not said when it would be safe for villagers to return, and displaced residents may have to remain in camps for several months. Most areas will likely remain flooded until monsoon rains taper off in November, officials say.
