India 05/07

India: Fifth round of floods strike Orissa and West Bengal

September 28, 2007

In West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar the monsoon rains continue. A depression that formed over the Bay of Bengal caused heavy rains from September 23 to 24, 2007 in several areas. The continuous downpour led to a rise in water level in all major river systems in the region. Calcutta was submerged under heavy waterlogging and received 44.0 cm (17.3 inches) of rain. The whole city was flooded with up to 1.5 metres (4.92 feet) of water in some areas.

Orissa
The south west monsoons have been active over Orissa. The Inter Agency Group (IAG) reported that continuous heavy rains have inundated several low lying areas in the state. This has been the fifth cycle of a major depression over the Bay of Bengal followed by flooding.

The initial emergency intervention by ACT member, Lutheran World Service India (LWSI), assisted 5,000 families in 125 villages of the three blocks of Basta, Baliapal and Balasore Sadar in the Balasore district. The relief operation was started on July 14, 2007 and completed in August 2007. LWSI provided BP-5 compact food for children, newborns and mothers. Other non-food item assistance included clothing materials, water purifying tablets and high density polythene sheets for temporary shelter.

A team from LWSI met with district authorities from September 14 to 16, 2007 to assess the current needs in the affected areas. The team visited the worst affected Jaleswar and Bograi blocks of the Balasore district. More than 70,000 families, whose homes have been partly or fully destroyed, are living in very poor conditions in 100 villages. Most of the affected families belong to traditionally marginalized groups.

During its visit, the team met one young man, Mr. Manoranjan Dolai, who was the head of the panchayat (local self government) in his village. He and local leaders took the team to the place where his house was located before the floods. Now there is only a heap of mud, some pieces of old bamboo and a defunct tube well. Mr. Dolai’s family of ten, which includes elderly family members, is living in the compound of the panchayat office without minimum sleeping materials or adequate clothing. They lost all their belongings to the floods.

According to the former village leader and the block leader of the ruling political party, the current flood level in the area is the highest it has been in 50 years. Fortunately, a boat was available, which was used to rescue 50 families from the Subarnarekha River basin in the village. Houses of all the 50 families have been washed away.

West Bengal
Over 4.7 million people in West Bengal have been affected and more than 51,000 people have taken shelter in 361 relief camps after the floods. The death toll in West Midnapore district is 38. There have been considerable crop and livestock losses. Sabang is the worst affected block in the West Midnapore district, where some villages are still under water. LWSI has already completed the first phase of relief operations in the Sabang block assisting more than 2,500 families in the 13 worst affected villages.

Bihar
Currently, 11 million people from 6,018 villages in 19 districts are affected by the devastating floods and 4.71 million people have been evacuated to 747 relief camps. While most of the rivers are now flowing below the danger level, heavy rains in the upper catchment area could intensify the situation.

After the IAG meeting initiated by Sphere India, LWSI assisted 3,500 families in the Meshi area of the East Champaran district. The relief supplies included blankets, bedcovers, roasted Bengal gram powder, salt and high density polythene sheets for temporary roofing. Distribution started in early September 2007 and is nearing completion.

Revision of ASIN72 Appeal
LWSI has been engaged in relief distribution to more than 10,000 families in Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar. However, considering the current situation in some of the flood affected villages where LWSI has already been working, a revision of the ASIN72 appealis being drafted for approval. LWSI plans to submit the revised appeal with a budget increase of USD 580,000 to the ACT Coordinating Office (CO) by the end of the week.

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Action by Churches Together (ACT) International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.

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