The floods in Bihar are the worst in a decade. The devastation in a lot of the places is heart rending. In some areas, the water is not going to recede for months.
As I travelled through Sitamarhi, Begusarai and khagaria, I discovered that in roadside stalls, the price of food has shot up over 300%, and that matches the price of raw grains or milk. Milk is hardly to be had in some areas, and is sold between 30 and 50 rupees a litre!
The situation of the very poor is hopeless, because even the 'rich farmers' have been devastated. The small framers, who could at least emply a few men to work on their fields have no fields left. The fields are now under water. The river flows through them.
