Dear Friends,
This is a report of the rain and flood relief work that we have been
involved in recently. Immediately after the heavy rains on the 27th of
October, we started our relief efforts in Chennai, Koovathur, Vembakkam
and Sulagiri.
Chennai
In Chennai, our volunteers got
people out of flooded areas and helped them get to safer areas. We
immediately started collecting clothes and blankets. In the camps, we
organized food for the night and provided people with blankets. Since
there were lots of people in each relief camp, and blankets were in
great demand, we waited till everyone went to sleep and then we looked
for children and women who were without blankets and covered them with
the blankets.
We were working in 7 camps in Chennai on the 27th. By the next day
the water in most locations was drained and people went back to their
homes. We continued working in Kallukuttai area for another 3 weeks -
because the entire place continued to be water-logged. We organized
several health camps and supplied bread and food for several days (when
ever there was a need). We also provide them with blankets for
children. The location continued to have neck deep water and our
volunteers (including the doctor) had to travel by thermacole boats to
get to people's homes.
In
many of the areas, we organized health camps immediately after the
rains to ensure quick treatment and prevention of diseases.
Koovathur
In Koovathur, the rains on 27th October destroyed
many of the poorest people's houses. Our volunteers went from village
to village to survey the damage and then provided the most affected
people with blankets, buckets, food and vessels.
We found that in many of the village the poorest families had been hit
very badly. Mostly these were single women, old women and men, people
with disabilities. They were living in already damaged thatched huts
with crumbling mud walls. The rains completely destroyed these huts.
We did a quick survey of these huts and are providing them with
materials ("thatch" and mud) - they are reconstructing and repairing
their homes with these materials themselves and with help from their
neighbors.
We are also organizing similar support to the poorest in villages in
Vembakkam and Sulagiri where people have been similarly affected.
Current Floods - Report and Plans The
recent rains have affected many districts quite badly - particularly
Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Nagai and Kanchipuram districts.
The day before (Friday, 25th November), a number of villages in
Koovathur area were completely flooded by water and people had to rush
out. Our volunteers organized food for all the families there. We also
organized food for children in the Saidapet area in Chennai.
In Chidambaram, Bhuvanagiri and Cuddalore the situation is quite
terrible. Complete areas are flooded and many of our volunteers are
unable to even travel from their villages. Most places have become
isolated pockets. Since yesterday, a community kitchen has been
started in Chidambaram. In Pudukottai, we are helping TNSF volunteers
provide food, blankets and "pai" in Naikara colony. In Thanjavur,
volunteers are surveying villages and organizing help for the affected
families.
Unlike the
Tsunami last December, this time even travel for volunteers and relief
workers is quite complicated. A much larger area has been affected and
a lot of very poor people have been affected. So many places have been
affected and it is so difficult to reach these isolated pockets that it
is becoming hard to even plan a complete relief operation.
But looking at the first phase of the rains, the current phase has
definitely caused a lot more damage. Many more houses would have been
destroyed. But to find out all the details, the waters will need to
subside. Right now, many of the villages are still under neck deep
water.
Our health van will
be leaving tomorrow night to Chidambaram where we plan to organize a
series of health camps for the next ten days. Volunteer teams are
working in several districts and the exact assessment and the relief
activities that will be needed will be finalized over the next few
days. Meanwhile, till an overall plan emerges - we will be continuing
to organize basic relief (food, clothing, water, medicines), wherever
we are able to reach and where there is a need.
How you can help:
1. Blankets, Saris and Children's Clothes.
2. Money
3. Medicines (sorted and not expired)
4. Volunteers - Doctors and People willing to wade in a lot of water
5. Food - rice, grains, dal, etc
To help, please contact:
1. AID INDIA Office: 044-28350403, 044-42106493
2. Balaji Sampath: 94440-61033
3. Ravishankar: 94440-84910
4. Prabha: 98403-51132
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Report prepared by Balaji Sampath
AID Chennai
27 November 2005
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