1996 CYCLONE OF ANDHRA PRADESH
Category |
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Cyclone. |
Account |
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Around 7:00 pm on 6 November 1996, some
600 kilometres in the Indian Ocean, a cyclone took birth
that eventually bulldozed a 300 kilometres wide track
of annihilation in Southern India at speeds of up to
260 km/h. Rain-lashed tidal waves surged up to five kilometres
inland during the storm. |
Area affected |
: |
East and west regions of the River Godavari
in the State of Andhra Pradesh were affected. More than
300 villages were under water. Electrical and telephone
poles were completely uprooted, leaving the entire area
in darkness and isolation. |
Casualties |
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Some 1,975 people died. |
Homeless |
: |
650,000 homes were destroyed. |
Crop loss |
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600,000 hectares of rice fields were washed
away.
22 million coconut trees were uprooted.
Banana and rice crops were destroyed completely. |
Cost |
: |
Rs.20.26 billion of damage estimated. |
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HELP
BY BAPS ORGANISATION
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Centres
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:
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BAPS centre in Vijaywada, Secunderabad, Hyderabad
and Mumbai were involved with relief operations.
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Volunteers
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:
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A large and experienced force was formed consisting
of BAPS volunteers from Vijaywada, Secunderabad, Hyderabad
and Mumbai.
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Area helped
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:
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BAPS provided relief to victims in 20 villages: Aainvalli,
Aainvalli Lanka, Ambajipet, Gandhinagar, Gogulanka,
Janpalli, K. Agraharam, Kamanagaruvu, Kondokuduru,
Machavaram, Mundavaram, Nagabattuluvaripalam, Nandampudi,
Nanvalli, Potailanka, Ravuluchcheruvu, Thondavaram,
Vemavrapadu, Vemavaram and Virvallipalam.
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People helped
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:
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10,000 people received relief aid from BAPS.
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IMMEDIATE ACTION
• BAPS volunteers
in Vijaywada began formulating relief work. Within hours
of the cyclone, groups of volunteers set out to survey the
damage.
• A BAPS relief centre
was set up in Ambajipet, a remote area of Konesema.
• As Government aid
agencies were distributing rice, the local staple diet, BAPS
decided to distribute other basic food items, medicines and
clothes.
BAPS volunteers transported food items by road and in certain
areas by boat or on foot.
FOOD
DISTRIBUTION |
Rice: 10,000 kg. |
Flour: 1,000 kg. |
Jaggery: 200 kg. |
Dal: 8,000 kg. |
Ravo: 1,000 kg. |
Sugar: 150 kg. |
Biscuits: 5,000 packets |
Vegetables 500 kg. |
Amali: 300 kg. |
CLOTHES DISTRIBUTION |
Sarees: 10,000 |
Baniyan: 5,000 |
Lungis: 5,000 |
Shirts: 200 |
2 trucks of used clothes |
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MEDICAL HELP
As well as food and clothes, BAPS also sent a team of qualified
doctors to help the sick or injured. Medicines were also distributed
to medical units working in the area.
OPINIONS
“Your organisation BAPS, is doing
very good work. Its contribution is very good. Please keep
it up.”
Chandrababu Naidu , Chief Minister
of Andhra Pradesh
“I am greatly impressed with
the work done by BAPS. It is well organised and systematic.
As well as providing relief aid, your organisation is also
providing a message of love and working together. You are
doing noble work.”
Shastri Pisia , Secretary of
Education, Andhra Pradesh
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