Kerala Tragedy Scale Raised, Mammoth Rebuilding Effort Ahead
This footage was captured during the recent flooding in Kerala. it shows the extent of the flooding and you can see the many have had literally everything washed away, or lost under mud slides. Now that the flood waters have started to go down, the real work of rebuilding peoples lives begins.
Please read on and find out how you can help the people of this flood ravaged area of India.
In late July, severe flooding affected Kerala state in India due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. Kerala’s worst floods in nearly a century, over 400 people are confirmed dead so far, while at least 82,400 people were rescued, mainly from Chengannur, Chalakkudi, Kuttanad and Aluvaand with all 14 districts of the state placed on high alert.
Thirty-five out of the forty-two dams within the state were opened for the first time in history and all five overflow gates of the Idukki Dam were opened at the same time after a gap of 26 years. Heavy rains in Wayanad and Idukki has left the hilly district isolated.
While flood waters are now beginning to recede in the southern Indian state of Kerala, allowing authorities to retrieve the bodies of victims and enabling residents to start assessing the damage to their homes after the worst monsoon rains in a century, the crisis for those involved is far from over. Many of the poorest people have quite literally lost everything they possessed and now have nowhere to turn for help them rebuild their lives.
Rains that have battered the region for the past 12 days were relenting and authorities said 90% of rescue operations were now complete, though thousands of people were still feared to be trapped in the worst-hit areas.
Maintaining sanitation and preventing disease in relief camps housing more than 800,000 people was now the priority, the Kerala health minister, KK Shailaja, said. Authorities were also seeking to restore regular supplies of clean drinking water and electricity to the state’s 33 million residents.
At least 1,000 were feared stranded in five villages around Chengannur, one of the districts worst hit by the deluge.
In another badly hit area, Thrissur, rescuers searched inundated houses where they found the bodies of those trapped by the fast-rising flood waters.
“They didn’t think that it would rise this high – 10 to 15 feet (3m to 4.5m) at some places – when the initial warnings were issued,” said Ashraf Ali KM, who is leading the search in the small Thrissur town of Mala.
Officials have estimated more than 83,000km of roads will need to be repaired and that the overall recovery will cost at least £2.4bn.
The threat of disease is now a key concern, given the lack of clean drinking water. Animal carcasses and mosquitoes raise the risks. The health ministry has set up 3,700 medical camps across the state and put six specialized medical teams on standby.
We are so moved by the plight of these people and recognise that if we act now, we can help prevent further death by making a simple contribution towards providing clean water, medication, food and shelter that we are taking this unusual step of directly asking you, to please make a donation towards a fund that we are raising for use to aid the people of Kerala.
Please help us help them.
If you would like to make a donation towards this and have internet banking please make you donation using the following details.
Bank details: Bank National Westminster Bank Plc
Account Holder Name: Brixham RC Church
SORT CODE: 52-10-18
Account number: 04115341
When making your payment Please add the reference: Kerala
If you do not use internet banking but would like to donate, there will be a retiring collection after Mass on the Sunday 2nd of September.
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