1998 FLOODS OF SURAT
Category |
: |
Floods. |
Account |
: |
Heavy rains pounded the southern region
of Gujarat. Engineers at the Ukai Dam were forced to
release water on 17 September as a precautionary measure
into the River Tapi. As a result, the city of Surat in
South Gujarat was flooded. |
Area affected |
: |
80% of the city of Surat was flooded.
Neighbouring villages on either side of the River Tapi
were also affected. The BAPS centre in Surat, which is
situated on the banks of the River Tapi, was submerged
under 12 feet of water for many days. |
Casualties |
: |
14 people were reported drowned. |
Affected |
: |
Over 100,000 people were evacuated. |
|
HELP
BY BAPS ORGANISATION
|
|
Centre
|
:
|
Despite being flooded by 12 feet of water, BAPS centre
in Surat immediately rushed relief and help to thousands
of others.
|
|
Volunteers
|
:
|
630 BAPS volunteers were deployed.
|
|
Area helped
|
:
|
Surat city.
|
|
Appointed by
|
:
|
The Government of Gujarat.
|
IMMEDIATE HELP
BAPS in Surat immediately coordinated a team of dedicated
volunteers to prepare cooked food packets for distribution.
BAPS doctors were called on duty and relief operations were
mapped out. Doctors set out with medicines to help the sick
and volunteers left with food packets.
MEDICAL HELP
A team of 20 dedicated BAPS doctors with volunteers fanned
out in flooded areas of Surat. In a single day, the doctors
had treated over 10,000 patients and provided free medicines.
In the following days, the doctors checked 100,000 families
through 102 organised health check-up camps.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Thousands of homes in Surat were completely flooded. Cooking
food posed an enormous problem. BAPS prepared cooked food packets
and distributed 35,000 packets in the most affected areas.
Furthermore, BAPS also distributed food items along with cooking
utensils and other essentials to the needy:
• 20 tonnes of grains
(wheat, millet and rice)
• 3,000 litres of
milk
• 500 primus stoves
• 500 sets of dishes
and utensils to 500 families.
• 5,000
blankets and clothes.
|
