On the 18th of August 2008 the eastern embankment of Kosi was breached near Kusaha/Nepal. After the water inundated adjoining villages, it reached Bhimnagar, Birpur, India within a few hours. In Birpur flood water rose alarmingly to height of 5-6 feet shortly after the breach, while elsewhere, namely in Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and parts of Araria and Purnea, the water spread over a great extent and caused a severe damage to life and property. 3.345.545 have been affected and the devastation was spread over 3000 sq km of land area.
In the course of the calamity the ODRC (Owner Driven Reconstruction Collaborative) was invited by the Government of Bihar. The members could apply their multiple skills and abilities in various demands, e.g. conducting a rapid assessment followed by a quick medical relief. Furthermore, reconstruction policies and schemes for the affected families were put in place. The Government of Bihar should be supported by all available means and the reconstruction process was demonstrated in 2 hamlets, Puraini and Orlaha, which were harmed by the flood mostly. Before the people were able to rebuild their own houses the preparation phase was extensiv. A system had to be set up to warrant smooth financial transactions whereas informative materials, like booklets and manuals, in local language were created to describe the construction techniques. Additionally, and before moving into the huge task of reconstruction, workshops were initiated by the ODRC and other local organizations, e.g. Megh Pyne Abhiyan, in December 2008. They contained the planning and the interaction with the district administration and the block level stakeholders. Practical programmes, such as mason training and bamboo carpentry workshops were organized to extract the best of the local resources and the traditional skills and to combine them with the valuable knowledge of the local and foreign helpers. When the pilot program began the most vulnerable families were identified, subsidized with about Rs. 115.00 as assistance, and, above all, instructed how to rebuild their homes using their own competencies and the natural resources of the region.
