The
flood situation in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat
and Andhra Pradesh remains grim, with scores of people killed
and hundreds of thousands made homeless by heavy monsoon rains.
Over the past two and a half weeks, swollen rivers have swamped
thousands of villages and towns across western and southern
India, affecting around 4.5 million people.
Despite drier conditions last week, the India Meteorological
Department (IMD) predicts that a new low-pressure system over
the north-west region of the Bay of Bengal could bring even
more rain to flood-stricken parts of India this week, especially
in Orissa, Chattisgarh and east central India.
Relief and rescue operations are in full swing in flood-ravaged
areas and the national headquarters of the Indian Red Cross
Society (IRCS), along with its respective state branches, are
actively assisting with rescue and relief operations.
“We are in regular touch with the affected state Red Cross
branch officials and government functionaries,” said Dr.
S.P. Agarwal, Secretary General of the IRCS. “The situation
is being reviewed frequently.”
Trained Indian Red Cross volunteers, along with authorities,
are also providing assistance to marooned people in affected
areas.
In Gujarat, flooding in 10 districts forced the evacuation of
around one million people last week and in south and central
Gujarat, many areas of Surat, Vadodara, Bharuch, Navsari and
Kheda, are still reeling from the flood waters.
The IRCS state branch in Gujarat has already distributed 100,000
food packets, 72,000 water pouches, 10,000 water bottles, 200
water cans, 7,000 theplas snacks to affected people, according
to Capt. Vandana, Assistant Director, Disaster Management for
the IRCS.
She added that the Red Cross had been responding to the flooding
since 4 August, following a request for support from the local
administration.
The Red Cross state disaster response team was quick to act
and after an emergency meeting and rapid assessment, relief
items were released from Viramgam warehouse for distribution,
including 1,000 sets of basic kitchen equipment, 4,000 cotton
and wool blankets, 1,000 sarees, and 200 tarpaulins.
Capt. Vandana also said that three fiber boats had been pressed
into service for rescuing stranded people. At the request of
the state branch, funds have been allocated for the purchase
of chlorine tablets and bleaching powder and the Red Cross is
also procuring packed milk for distribution.
In addition, the national headquarters has mobilized three water
sanitation units, each weighing about two metric tons, with
a capacity to provide 3,000 liters of drinking water per hour.
In the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, 6,000 villages were
flooded, leaving around 1.5 million people homeless and forcing
thousands into trees and onto rooftops. Early estimates also
show crop and property losses of around 30 million Swiss francs.
Nearly 110,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas and
accommodated in 435 relief camps across the state, according
to officials. However, the flood situation has been improving
in some coastal areas and places in Telengana as the river Godavari
recedes.
The Andhra Pradesh (AP) Red Cross branch has procured relief
items, including mosquito nets, blankets, bed sheets, sarees,
life-saving medicines and tarpaulins, worth over 5,000 Swiss
francs thanks to local donations. The IRCS national headquarters
also provided additional relief items to Andhra Pradesh last
week.
In Maharashtra, the relief and rescue operation became easier
to carry out when rainfall decreased last week. According to
government sources, more than 65,000 people were shifted to
over 200 government relief camps there. Relief efforts have
been focusing in the worst-affected districts of Chandapore,
Nanded, Sholapur and Washim.
In addition to providing stoves, towels, sheets, and medicine,
the local Red Cross in Nanded set up a medical camp to help
treat the wounded. An additional mobile health unit was dispatched
to visit five relief camps, treating 50 to 70 patients per day.
The Maharashtra state branch has also provided funds to the
Nanded district branch to purchase medicine and mineral water.
In Chandapore district, a medical unit was deployed to provide
care for the injured, while food packets have also been distributed
among affected people.
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People
wade through a flooded road in Vadsar village near the
city of Vadodara, about 110 km (68 miles) south from the
western Indian city of Ahmedabad, August 14, 2006. Nearly
400 people have been killed and millions more have been
made homeless after India's annual monsoon rains triggered
rivers to overflow and forced authorities to release vast
amounts of water from brimming dams. (REUTERS, Amit Dave,
courtesy www.alertnet.org)
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