South Asia reels under floods

PATNA, (India), Sept 1 (Reuters) The Indian army and navy stepped up efforts Monday to rescue hundreds of thousands of people marooned by floods, while rising river levels also rang alarm bells in neighbouring Bangladesh.brIn India's impoverished eastern state of Bihar, villagers have been living on rooftops for days, while others are eating plants and leaves after exhausting food stocks.brAid agencies said the Bihar government should have done more to anticipate the disaster and plan relief operations in a region hit by monsoon flooding every year.brLessons from the past disasters should be kept in mind while planning response, ActionAid said in a statement. A long-term comprehensive response is necessary to deal with relief, recovery and disaster preparedness.brThree million people have been displaced from their homes and at least 90 killed by floods in Bihar, officials say, after the Kosi river burst a dam in Nepal, swamping hundreds of villages in Bihar and destroying 100,000 ha (250,000 acres) of farmlands.brSince the monsoon began in South Asia in June, more than 1,000 people have died in floods, with most of the casualties recorded in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh in July.brIn Bihar, 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.brSuch is the extent of devastation that the forces deployed are proving too small, Pratyay Amrit, a senior state disaster management official, said on Monday.brThe army, which had already deployed five columns of around 120 men, sent in another 14, officials said on Monday, while three naval companies were also asked to help.