Flooding in India’s eastern Bihar state has affected nearly five million people, officials said on Tuesday as aid was being sent to the worst-hit areas.

“Food, clean drinking water, medicines, and other essential facilities are being continuously provided to the needy families,” Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bihar’s deputy chief minister, said in a statement.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said 7,000 rupees ($72) each had been transferred to more than 827,000 flood-affected families in the state.

Nearly five million people have been affected by floods, according to figures from Bihar’s Disaster Management Department.

Flooding began this month, and local media have reported 20 deaths, while officials said swaths of farmland have been swamped. Bihar is downstream from Nepal, which suffered deadly flooding last month.

“Flood is our fate, every year we face it,” said Chandan Kumar Mahto, 46, a resident of Saran district. “We are helpless… we are struggling for food, safe drinking water and milk for children.”

Bihar’s government is made up of a coalition of parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

Modi has sent a federal government team to conduct a “detailed assessment of damages”, officials said.

Lakhmania Devi, 42, from Vaishali district, said she and her family took shelter on their roof after floodwaters entered their home.

“We live like nomads, without a kitchen to prepare food and drink dirty water to survive,” she said.

“If it will continue longer, I will go without food as there are no savings left to survive,” he said.

AFP