1979 FLOODS OF MORBI

IMMEDIATE HELP

•  BAPS set out immediately to help. Over 1500 BAPS volunteers to reach Morbi immediately. This information was conveyed over the state radio broadcasting station and newspapers.

•  Appeals for help were launched in India and abroad through BAPS centres.

•  Collection of Medicines, clothes and funds began in India, England, America and East African countries.

INFORMATION CENTRE

The most affected victims of the flood were evacuated to 78 government-run relief centres in Rajkot. BAPS had opened an information and enquiry booth in Rajkot especially designed with information to help relatives and friends locate loved ones sheltered in government-run relief centres.

SHELTER

The floods had destroyed entire towns and villages. Thousands of people were left homeless. Shelter for 10,000 homeless people was immediately arranged at the BAPS centres in Gondal and Rajkot.

FOOD AND WATER DISTRIBUTION

•  For 15 days, 107 BAPS women volunteers prepared hot meals and cooked food-packets for over 2,000 victims a day living in Morbi.

•  In Rajkot, 300 victims were provided with shelter together with daily hot meals and snacks.

•  750 families in Morbi were given food items consisting of grains, vegetables and sweet dishes.

•  Fresh and clean drinking water was a major problem. BAPS undertook the task to provide fresh drinking water to everyone in the affected areas of Morbi.

•  25,000 cups of tea a day were distributed in Morbi by BAPS for 13 consecutive days.

•  3 mobile tea jeeps provided hot tea, twice a day, to rescue workers, police, army personal, government officials, volunteers and victims in Morbi.

•  25 August 1979 was the Muslim holy day of Id - following the month of Ramzan. Food was a big problem. The volunteers of BAPS cooked food and prepared sweet dishes for 5,000 Muslims! Furthermore, BAPS volunteers took the responsibility to serve the hot meal to the entire Muslim community.

MEDICAL HELP

BAPS doctors and medical volunteers were rushed to the area to help the injured and sick.

•  1,650 people benefited from the medical unit.

•  Cholera and Tetanus vaccines were provided and administrated by BAPS doctors in Morbi.

•  BAPS doctors also administrated eye drops to prevent and cure conjunctivitis.

•  610 people were given cholera–inoculations in Rajkot.

•  To prevent an epidemic outbreak, disinfectant powder was distributed in affected areas.

SURVEY

On behalf of the government, a team of BAPS engineers surveyed the entire town of Morbi categorising the town into three zones depending upon the extent of damage occurred.

•  Zone A had 1152 houses

•  Zone B had 1431 houses

•  Zone C had 1661 houses

The worst affected area was Zone A which required maximum attention and aid.

CLEAN UP

The floods brought with it mud, muck, fallen trees, rubbish and also cattle carcasses. Buildings and roads in the entire town of Morbi were filled with huge amounts of mud and rubbish. A total of 1511 BAPS volunteers were sent to Morbi to clean and bring order to the area.

During their 50-day stay in Morbi, the volunteers cleaned up:

Warehouses that had rotting grains were also cleaned.

During the clean up operation, valuables and items worth Rs.119,000/- were found and returned to their respected owners.

CLOTHES DISTRIBUTION

•  175 families in Rajkot were given blankets and clothes.

•  Clothes from around the world and India were freely distributed to victims in the entire district.