KERALA: An extraordinary southwest monsoon lashed Kerala with incessant torrential rains and forced the state to release excess water from most of the dams resulting in flooding of all the major rivers, landslides and loss of hundreds of lives, livestock and property. In response to the grim situation, the following centres are conducting primary flood relief services:
Kalady
Incessant rains and flooding of the Purna (Periyar) river has wreaked havoc in the Ernakulam district. Flood waters had entered our Ashrama premises and some portions of it were under 3 feet of water. The situation turned further grave owing to lack of electricity and connectivity. On 15th August, the local authorities made the Ashrama’s school a relief camp and more than 1800 local people were provided food and shelter in it for 7 days. The centre provided milk to small children and medical aid to patients at the camp. The centre has so far distributed 16,790 kg rice, 1679 kg dal, 300 kg coconut oil, 979 kg assorted spices, 1679 kg salt, 1100 kg sugar, 4108 bed-sheets, 30 towels, 4185 plastic mats, 4185 buckets, 4185 mugs, 4108 jugs, 4185 bars of bathing soaps, 4185 tubes of toothpaste, 8216 toothbrushes, 1174 vials of antiseptic liquid and 500 mosquito-coils among 4108 flood-affected families in Ernakulam district from 10 to 27 August. Relief distribution is continuing. Photos
Koyilandy
In response to the flooding of various parts of Kannur district, Koyilandy centre has distributed 8253 kg rice, 2470 kg dal, 288 kg semolina, 2454 packets of snacks, 72 kg tea leaves, 288 kg sugar, 342 litres of water, 100 dhotis, 1449 lungis, 32 shirts, 748 T-shirts, 171 trousers, 309 saris, 621 ladies’ garments, 43 children’s garments, 1308 bed-sheets, 1226 towels, 288 tarpaulins, 618 bars of bathing soap, 576 sanitary items, 57 vials of antiseptic liquid, 288 buckets and 288 mugs among 1222 flood-affected families in Kannur and Kozhikode districts from 14 to 28 August. Relief distribution is continuing. Photos
Kozhikode
Kozhikode centre distributed 6390 kg rice, 1238 kg dal, 880 packets of biscuits, 10 kg milk powder, 3 kg tea leaves, 10 kg sugar, 619 bed-sheets, 644 lungis, 669 ladies’ garments and 100 assorted garments among 989 flood-affected families in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts from 16 to 26 August. Relief distribution is continuing. Photos
Tiruvalla
In response to the flooding of various parts of Pathanamthitta district, Tiruvalla centre distributed 2386 kg rice, 485 kg flour, 111 kg vermicelli, 971 kg dal, 2067 packets of biscuits/rusks, 55 packets of baby food, 25 kg tea leaves, 971 kg sugar, 765 litres of drinking water, 721 dhotis, 261 lungis, 344 T-shirts, 610 saris, 1259 ladies’ garments, 200 assorted garments, 1386 bed-sheets, 1305 towels, 1274 mats, 683 buckets, 100 cooking pots, 100 ladles, 181 tumblers, 281 plates, 100 kg bleaching powder, 1432 bars of bathing soap, 181 bars of washing soap, 300 other sanitary items, 181 mugs, 181 packets of candles, 181 packets of matchboxes, 306 toothbrushes, 206 tubes of toothpaste, 404 umbrellas, 404 wipers, 81 mosquito-coils and other materials among 1484 flood-affected families in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts from 16 to 26 August. Relief distribution is continuing. Photos
Coimbatore Mission
In the wake of flooding in various parts of Palakkad district, Coimbatore Mission centre distributed 4027 kg rice, 665 kg dal, 953 kg assorted vegetables, 665 litres of edible oil, 3092 kg assorted groceries, 2000 buns, 1330 packets of biscuits, 665 kg sugar, 1223 blankets, 50 T-shirts, 25 ladies’ garments, 30 children’s garments, 1223 mats, 460 water pots and 498 sets of utensils (each set containing 2 pots, 1 karahi, 2 ladles, 5 plates, 2 tumblers and 1 mug) among 1504 flood-affected families in Palakkad and Idukki districts of Kerala from 19 to 25 August. Photos
Thrissur
The centre gave shelter to 324 flood-affected persons at the relief camp in its higher secondary school from 14 to 23 August. Further, it distributed 1100 kg rice, 110 kg cereals, 210 kg dal, 130 litres of cooking oil, 110 kg tamarind, 110 kg chilli powder, 110 kg salt, 110 kg tea leaves, 385 kg sugar, 534 blankets, 534 saris, 534 lungis, 534 towels, 534 mats, 434 pillows, 534 bars of bathing soap, 534 bars of washing soap and 534 buckets among 675 flood-affected families in Thrissur district from 23 to 27 August. Photos
Kochi
The centre distributed 1750 kg rice, 1050 kg dal, 1050 kg assorted spices, 350 kg salt, 35 kg tea leaves, 350 kg sugar, 700 ladies’ garments, 490 dhotis, 240 T-shirts, 590 assorted garments, 350 bed-sheets, 350 towels and 350 plastic mats among 660 flood affected families in Ernakulam district from 20 to 30 August. Photos
Coimbatore Math
Responding to the flooding of various parts of Palakkad district, Coimbatore Math centre distributed 4800 kg rice, 720 kg dal, 680 kg onions, 288 kg of assorted spices, 720 kg salt, 235 litres of edible oil, 225 kg tea leaves and 720 kg sugar among 720 flood-affected families in Palakkad and Malappuram districts of Kerala from 21 to 27 August. Photos
Pala
In response to the flooding of various parts of the Kottayam district, the Pala centre served 510 chapattis to 60 families and distributed 225 kg rice, 120 kg dal, 20 kg flour, 10 kg rice powder, 20 coconuts, 4 kg of assorted spices, 20 kg salt, 170 packets of biscuits, 2 kg tea leaves, 20 kg sugar, 70 bars of bathing soap, 70 bars of washing soap, 50 packets of washing powder, 20 towels, 70 tubes of toothpaste, 70 toothbrushes and 50 vials of oil among 95 flood-affected families in Kottayam and Ernakulam districts from 18 to 24 August. Photos
Haripad
In the recent flooding of various parts of Alappuzha district our centre in Haripad was also inundated and its monastic member had to take shelter in our Kayamkulam centre. Despite the challenging circumstances, the centre distributed 2610 kg rice, 634 kg dal, 763 litres of edible oil, 522 kg salt, 522 kg sugar, 2181 litres of drinking water, 522 blankets, 522 saris, 522 lungis/dhotis, 522 bed-sheets, 317 towels, 317 mats, 317 mosquito-repellents, 317 phials of antiseptic liquid, 522 packets of matchboxes, 522 utensil sets (each set containing a tumbler, a mug, a plate and a bucket), 522 bars of bathing soap, 281 kg of bleaching powder and 317 litres of phenyl among 522 flood-affected families in Haripad from 27 to 30 August. Photos
KARNATAKA
Owing to similar heavy rainfall in some parts of Karnataka and resulting release of excess water from the dams, parts of Kodagu district is affected by severe water inundation. As a result of the continuous downpour on 15th and 16th August, there were numerous landslides and disruption to normal life. Our Ponnampet centre immediately started primary relief work on the 16th August afternoon itself by serving cooked food (Upma) and dry food materials to tribal people stranded on the bank of the small Hatur river near Kunda. Our volunteers and the Fire Brigade helped in supplying these essential items via ropeway. Since then it has distributed 5730 kg rice, 1146 kg flour, 1146 kg dal, 372 kg assorted spices, 573 kg salt, 573 litres of edible oil, 286 kg tea leaves, 573 kg sugar, 1146 bed‑sheets, 1146 towels, 1146 bars of bathing soap, 573 packets of washing soap, 2292 sanitary items, 573 packets of candles, 573 packets of matchboxes, 1719 toothbrushes, 573 tubes of toothpaste, and 1146 pairs of slippers among 1400 flood-affected families in Kodagu district from 20 to 30 August. Relief distribution is continuing. Photos
WEST BENGAL
(i) In the wake of heavy rains and flooding of the Dwarakeshwar river, Bankura centre distributed 550 kg rice, 210 kg dal, 500 kg chira (rice flakes), 196 kg molasses, 200 packets of biscuits, 72 torches, 204 packets of matchboxes, 204 packets of candles, 40 saris, 80 bed-sheets, 16 tarpaulins, 23 kg plastic sheets and 4000 halogen tablets among 200 flood-affected families in Bankura district from 7 to 29 August. Relief distribution is continuing. Photos
(ii) Continuous rains on 3, 4 and 5 August resulted in a flood-like situation in Jhargram district. In response to the calamity, Jhargram centre served nearly 7600 plates of cooked food among flood-affected people in six wards of Jhargram town from 6 to 10 August. The centre also distributed saris, dhotis, lungis, tarpaulins and cooking utensils among affected families. Photos