A relief effort in flood-hit Bihar turned chaotic when a crowd rushed towards boxes of fruit brought by Haryana-based NGO worker Sahaj Duggal and his team. A video showed people grabbing fruit and damaging the supplies before fleeing. Duggal said his daughters were also pushed during the rush and expressed disappointment.
A relief effort in flood-hit Bihar took an unexpected turn when a crowd rushed towards boxes of fruit brought for people affected by the floods. Sahaj Duggal, president of the NGO Har Maidaan Fateh Society, had travelled from Haryana to Bihar with his team as part of a seva initiative. They had brought boxes of fruit to distribute among people in need. But when the supplies arrived, the distribution reportedly became chaotic.
A video shared by Duggal on Instagram shows several people running towards the fruit boxes, climbing over them and taking handfuls of fruit. Some could be seen leaving the spot carrying fruit in their arms. Duggal appeared visibly upset as he followed some of the people and questioned them about what had happened.
‘Why are you ruining all the boxes?’
In the video, Duggal repeatedly asked people why they were damaging the boxes and taking the fruit without forming a proper line.
“Why are you all ruining all the boxes? Are you happy with your actions?” he was heard asking.
At one point, he pointed towards an elderly woman walking away with fruit in her hands. He also questioned a group of young boys who appeared to smile when he asked them about their actions.
Duggal said the disorder had damaged a significant portion of the supplies that his team had brought for distribution.
The situation became particularly upsetting for him because his daughters had also accompanied him to Bihar.
‘They pushed my daughters around’
Duggal said his daughters were pushed by people trying to reach the fruit. “I have my daughters with me too, and they pushed them around so much just to snatch everything we had bought for them. I am extremely disappointed,” he said in the video.
In the caption accompanying the Instagram post, Duggal directly addressed the people involved.
“I have come from so far, just for you. Why are you doing this to me?” he wrote.
The video has since prompted a discussion online, with viewers reacting differently to the incident.
Video sparks debate online
Some social media users said scenes like these could discourage individuals and organisations from travelling long distances to provide assistance during disasters.
Others said the behaviour seen in the video was upsetting, particularly because the supplies had been brought specifically for people affected by the floods.
Some commenters went further and argued that people who had taken the fruit should not receive further assistance. However, such reactions remain opinions expressed by individual social media users and do not establish the circumstances or needs of the people shown in the footage.
The video itself shows the rush during the distribution, but it does not provide the full context behind why the crowd gathered in that manner.
Bihar flood situation
The incident comes as Bihar continues to deal with severe flooding. Swollen rivers and heavy rainfall in Nepal’s catchment areas have pushed water levels up and flooded several parts of the state.
According to the details provided, more than 46 lakh people across 15 districts of Bihar have been affected by the floods.
With large numbers of people requiring food and other essential supplies, relief distribution has become an important part of the response.
Duggal’s video has brought attention to one difficult aspect of such efforts: ensuring that relief reaches people in an orderly and safe manner.
A difficult moment during a relief mission
Duggal travelled to Bihar intending to help flood-affected people, but the scenes captured in his video left him visibly disappointed.
His frustration was not only about the fruit that was taken or the boxes that were damaged. He also raised concerns about the safety of his daughters, who he said were pushed during the rush.
The video has now opened a wider conversation about the difficulties faced by people organising relief work and the challenges of distributing essential supplies during a disaster.
At the same time, the circumstances and motivations of the people seen taking the fruit cannot be established from the video alone.
As Bihar continues to cope with widespread flooding, the focus remains on getting food and other necessities to affected communities. The incident involving Duggal’s fruit distribution has added another layer to the ongoing conversation about how relief should be delivered when large crowds gather for assistance.