In pictures: Bihar flooding aftermath

Four months after severe flooding in and around the town of Birpur in the Indian state of Bihar, many houses remain surrounded by water, their owners unable to afford any repair work. (Pics: Prashant Ravi)

Mohammed Shahzada's house was among those severely damaged. "All of my life savings and my ancestral property has been washed away," he said.

The inside of Mr Shahzada's house is barely inhabitable - its walls are severely cracked, and most rooms remain either damp or waterlogged. He cannot afford to carry out any repair work.

An embankment to protect Birpur was built several years ago, but because it was poorly maintained, it did little to stop the floods of August 2008. Now work has begun in earnest to shore it up.

Businessman Arvind Kumar Ram is trying hard to cope with life as the flood waters recede. His house also could not withstand the force of the water and collapsed on one side.

The roof of Radha Krishna Chaudhury's concrete house collapsed as if it had been bombed from on high, killing some of his family. He now has to live alone in what is left of its shattered structure.

All around Birpur and its surroundings the picture is the same: flood damaged houses that have been either destroyed or left severely damaged. It will take many years for the town to recover.

But as the town slowly returns to normal many are praying that the refurbished embankment will this year prevent a repeat of the misery caused by the great floods of 2008.