Emergency Assistance to Flood affected

Incessant rains continued to pound Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra for over a week, causing a state death toll of 900. In Mumbai alone, hundreds have died due to landslides, drowning, electrocution in flooded streets and even through suffocating in their cars as they waited-out the rains. Rail, road and air traffic was paralysed. Mumbai screeched to a halt as traffic in low-lying areas and on the eastern and western express highways were affected.

Such scenes have never before been seen in Mumbai, a cosmopolitan city that is home to India's financial and movie industries There have been angry protests in several areas of the city where thousands have been without electricity and drinking water supplies since the flooding started.

The state government has estimated the damage to be around Rs 20 billion including agriculture (6 billion), livestock (1 billion), housing (3 billion) and infrastructure (10 billion). Preliminary reports estimate more than 10,000 houses have collapsed in the affected districts of Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Sangli, Ratnagiri Raigad.

Civic infrastructure – roads, public buildings, primary health centres, schools and administrative buildings as well as water supply schemes have been damaged. Phone networks collapsed, highways were blocked and the city's airports, among the nation's busiest, were closed.

Livelihood has been adversely affected and there is large scale loss of personal and public property. People belonging to weaker and marginalized sections are the worst off having no resources to fall back on. The living conditions in the affected areas and relief camps are appalling and people are not being provided the basic necessities of life.

ACT member Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) has already started the feeding programme with existing emergency funds and is proposing to continue to assist the most vulnerable with cooked food and potable water for a period of five days, dry ration kits, clothing, hygiene kits and educational material.

This appeal will include ACT member CASA only.

Project Completion Date: 30 September 2005

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested /US$):

Total Appeal Target(s): 363,971
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd.: 0
Balance Requested from ACT Alliance: 363,971

Signed by:

White Rakuba
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office