A flood-relief effort in Bihar took an unexpected turn when a crowd surrounded volunteers distributing fruits, with people seen scrambling to grab the supplies.A video of the incident has surfaced on social media, showing volunteers trying to manage the crowd as the situation becomes increasingly chaotic. Sahaj Duggal, president of the NGO Har Maidan Fateh Society, shared the video from the relief effort.The volunteers, who had travelled from Haryana, can be seen backing away as people push forward to get the fruits. Duggal is also seen moving through the crowd, repeatedly asking people to wait and maintain order.But the situation doesn’t settle down.At one point, he can be heard pleading, “Aisa mat karo yaar” as the crowd continues to press around the volunteers.Sharing the video, Duggal wrote in Hindi that a few people had “ruined the atmosphere of seva” and added that female volunteers were also present.
Video sparks debate online
The clip quickly drew different reactions from social media users.Some people said the situation looked frightening, particularly for the volunteers caught in the middle of the crowd.“It feels so unsafe,” one person commented.Another user, however, looked at the incident from a different angle. They argued that people affected by the floods may have been desperate for food and basic supplies, and that their actions shouldn’t automatically be viewed simply as theft.“They are hungry and just trying to survive after a flood,” the user wrote, while also raising questions about whether adequate relief was reaching affected communities.Others were less sympathetic, with some comments criticising the behaviour seen in the video.“How can someone help like this?” one person asked.Another wrote, “Bihar ka kuch nahi ho sakta hai.”One more comment read, “Bihar proved that this is Bihar.”Some users also expressed concern for the women volunteers seen in the footage, with one writing, “Bihar so unsafe feels so sorry for that girl especially.”
Other relief videos show a different picture
The viral clip is one moment from a much larger relief effort and doesn’t, by itself, represent how relief distribution has been taking place across Bihar.Duggal has shared other videos from the same effort showing volunteers distributing supplies in difficult conditions. In one clip, members of his team are seen standing in ankle-deep water while handing out fruits.Another video shows Duggal travelling by boat across a flooded area to reach people in need.These clips offer a different view of the relief work, with distributions appearing more orderly in some locations.
Bihar floods affect millions
Heavy rainfall has caused widespread flooding across several parts of Bihar, leaving homes and roads submerged. According to the figures cited in recent reports, nearly 50 lakh people have been affected by the floods.Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan began a two-day assessment of the flood damage on September 16, accompanied by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.Choudhary said the state government had begun releasing an interim grant of ₹7,000 to each affected family. Further compensation for farmers is also expected to follow.
