|
September
14, 2006
The North Westren Railway has
provided a train of 72 tankers for removing water from flood -
affected Kawas village in Barmer district. In one trip, the train
will transport 15-lakh litres of water and empty it in the seasonal
Luni River. This train will continue to run till all water has been
removed from the village.
It was estimated that 800 crore gallons water is
present in Kawas after the flash flood. About 34-lakh gallons of
water has been removed using the powerful pumps provided by ONGC and
the Irrigation Department.
August
30, 2006
After 400 mm of freak rain for
over 36 hours, Barmer the sub-continent's driest region has become
the country's "lake district". Six overnights lakes
out of at least 20 are spread over 10 square km each. They are
located in Ghale ki basti, Bhulon ki dhani, Tej malta, Lakha and
Mayazlar - small settlements scattered amid the dunes.
The lake of Gale ki basti village of 117 families is at least
six km long and over three km wide. Surrounded by dunes from all
sides, it resembles a shallow sea ringed by sandy ridge- like shore.
The area's rocky sub-surface hinders water absorption.
Source - H.T.
Monday,
August
28, 2006
Six
days after the first flash foods, the villages in Rajasthan's Barmer
district are still submerged under 20 feet water. Beneath the
undulating surface is a thick layer of gypsum followed by a layer of
bantonite, a mineral, and lime stone which prevent percolation of
water. The fear, now, is an outbreak of epidemics, specially in
waterlogged areas littered with animal carcasses. According to
unconfirmed reports, around 150 people have lost their lives and
many of them have been swept away in the current of water and their
bodies are missing.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
This year's unusual floods in Rajasthan have so far claimed the lives of 85 people, including 50 in the desert town of Barmer where 800,000 people have been severely affected and thousands of cattle drowned.
However, media reports claim 300 people have died in the floods in the state, and the number of those dead in Barmer alone is 200. Relief Minister Kirori Lal Meena said on Saturday: "We have suffered a loss of over Rs.17 billion."
"Thirty six people in Malva village of Barmer district are reportedly missing. We have sought divers of the Indian Navy to help locate missing persons," the minister said. He said some of the villages in Barmer district are still marooned under 20-25 feet of water and efforts were being made to drain out the water from these villages.
Barmer, which on an average receives 277 mm of rains a year, has this time received 577 mm of rainfall so far. Of its two million population, 800,000 have been affected due to the rains. Houses and property in the desert town have been badly damaged and 45,000 cattle have perished in the floods, officials said. As per unconfirmed reports, 5,200 houses have been damaged and agriculture crop worth Rs 300 million has been ruined.
Source: HindustanTimes
Saturday, August 26, 2006 (Barmer):
Rajasthan is usually struggling with drought. But this season, several villages in the border areas of Barmer are submerged in 10-20 feet of water. The Rajasthan government has sent in Navy divers to help with rescue operations in Barmer, and it is estimated that 58 people have been killed in the floods.
Over 250 people have been rescued by choppers, which were also used to airdrop food packets and plastic sheets. A total of 40 medical teams have also been sent to
Barmer.
Death trap: One of the worst affected villages in Barmer is Kawas, a thriving real estate market till just 48 hours ago.
But now, it has virtually become the biggest death trap in the Thar desert due to 36 hours of non-stop rain. At least 250 people are missing in the deluge.
Over 36 people are missing in Malwa village and around 17.35 lakh hectares of land has been affected by floods since last week.
Crops worth Rs 722.21 crore have been destroyed. So far 3,200 people have been rescued by the army since operations began last week.
The state has demanded a package of Rs 1,300 crore from the
Centre.
Distraught public: However, for people like Mana Ram, life has become an unbearable burden. Just five days ago, he was the prosperous owner of 20 bighas of land and a large number of cattle. But everything was washed away in flash floods caused by 36 hours of non-stop rain. The family was forced to flee to a sandy hillock with nothing but their lives and the clothes on their back.
"It was pouring, and I had children on my shoulders. We ran and saved ourselves. We couldn't bring the cattle. We have no money and no food left. I don't know how to feed the children," said Mana Ram.
Homes destroyed: There are countless such stories in villages of
Barmer, where floods have affected 40,000 people. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and over 50,000 cattle have been killed. The animals are often the only source of livelihood for people in the desert region, and their loss has driven many to desperation.
"The cattle died and now, I am as good as dead. We are hungry and in a very bad condition," said a local. Even though it has stopped raining, several homes remain submerged, and though
voluntary agencies have plunged into relief and rescue efforts, people are angry with the government for its slow response.
For countless people in Barmer, the sand dunes are now the only homes that they have, and as they battle acute shortage of food, water and shelter, they seem to have lost everything except their lives.
Source: NDTV.com
|
|
