Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alert - India (West Bengal Floods) - 1/2000 Floods Devastate Three Districts in West Bengal Geneva, 20 September 2000
ACT member, Lutheran World Service (LWS) India reports that torrential rains since early morning of 17 September, have flooded most parts of the districts of Birbhum, Burdwan, Murshidabad and Malda in West Bengal. All the major rivers, the Dwaraka, Mayuraskhy, Ajoy, Brahamani and the Bhaghirati as well as their tributaries are flowing well above danger levels. Several dams and barrages in the region have also crossed the danger levels and are releasing massive volumes of water. More than half of Birbhum district is submerged and around 600,000 people have been evacuated to safer locations. Rail, road and telecommunication to the rural areas of the district have been completely disrupted. Birbhum is also an operational district for LWS India Integrated Rural Development Project and some of the project offices have been flooded. In Murshidabad district, all 26 blocks are affected, 10 of them severely, resulting in several hundred thousand people moving to higher grounds. In Burdwan district, one sub division is seriously affected and a number of areas have been cut off from the district head quarters. Train services through parts of the district have also been suspended. In Malda district, the River Ganga is slowly rising and the low lying areas are beginning to get flooded. At Kaliachak in Malda, the river has breached its embankment and 6 villages are under water forcing thousands of families to move to safer locations. The low pressure zone remains and according to weather forecasts, the rains are likely to continue for another few days. The District Authorities have called in the Army and the Para-Military forces to conduct rescue and relief operations but relief measures are yet to begin. LWS India has also been requested by the authorities, to intervene with emergency assistance. LWS personnel have begun rapid assessment visits to the affected areas in Birbhum, Murshidabad and Malda and an ACT appeal may be forthcoming. Thank you for your attention. For further information please contact: ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, Neville Pradhan (phone ++41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 285 2916) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33 150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06 1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH Switzerland http://www.act-intl.org distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -