Update from Banki – 3

From: Jagannath Panda (AID India)

The Relief & Rescue Operation in Banki is progressing at snail’s pace. You will be astonished to know the breach of embankment (Ghai) that occurred at Karabara caught the authorities by surprise. They were ill prepared at that time. The MI Irrigation authorities didn’t have required sand bags, no ready laboruers, no vehicles ready to tackle any eventuality, other wise situation could have been different.

Free Cooked foods are being supplied by Banki N.A.C at B.K.Bidyapitha, Govt.Girls’ High School & Charchika Mandir. Our Volunteers are helping them.

I have, after much difficulty contacted Shantosh, the block Co-Ordinator & Prakash, the block Volunteer at Similipur, 5 k.m away from Banki main town. They have only 30 rupees with them. I have given them some money. A group of ten volunteers have been constituted which will work with the Pratham Volunteers & will visit the flood ravaged areas from tomorrow.

The flood water is receding very slowly. Heavy rain is also adding to the miseries of the people and is also affecting the Relief & Rescue operation.

The Administration doesn’t have any relief stocks at their disposal. They are managed to buy 6 quintals of pressed rice (Chuda) from the local markets. No relief materials of any kind have reached to the people from the government or from any other organization. People are leading miserable life every where.

The drinking water problem is very acute. Bleaching powder, halogen tablets are not in plenty to meet the requirements.

There are limited airdrops of food materials which are not sufficient to meet the requirement. People are finding it difficult to have food materials from the market. They are forced by the situation to buy old stock sweets, which are in turn affecting their health and the administration is not taking any step to ban these materials from being sold.