Current Floods - Report and Plans

The recent rains have affected many districts quite badly - particularly Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Nagai and Kanchipuram districts.

The day before (Friday, 25th November), a number of villages in Koovathur area were completely flooded by water and people had to rush out. Our volunteers organized food for all the families there.  We also organized food for children in the Saidapet area in Chennai.

In Chidambaram, Bhuvanagiri and Cuddalore the situation is quite terrible.  Complete areas are flooded and many of our volunteers are unable to even travel from their villages.  Most places have become isolated pockets.  Since yesterday, a community kitchen has been started in Chidambaram.  In Pudukottai, we are helping TNSF volunteers provide food, blankets and “pai” in Naikara colony. In Thanjavur, volunteers are surveying villages and organizing help for the affected families.

Unlike the Tsunami last December, this time even travel for volunteers and relief workers is quite complicated.  A much larger area has been affected and a lot of very poor people have been affected.  So many places have been affected and it is so difficult to reach these isolated pockets that it is becoming hard to even plan a complete relief operation.

But looking at the first phase of the rains, the current phase has definitely caused a lot more damage. Many more houses would have been destroyed.  But to find out all the details, the waters will need to subside.   Right now, many of the villages are still under neck deep water.

Our health van will be leaving tomorrow night to Chidambaram where we plan to organize a series of health camps for the next ten days.   Volunteer teams are working in several districts and the exact assessment and the relief activities that will be needed will be finalized over the next few days.  Meanwhile, till an overall plan emerges - we will be continuing to organize basic relief (food, clothing, water, medicines), wherever we are able to reach and where there is a need.