DIOCESE FIGHTS CYCLONE ‘AILA’

K.N. Das : ‘AILA’-the Cyclone formed on Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal on 24th of May 2009 shaped into a severe cyclone with a whirling stormy speed of 120-150 kms/hrs and hit coastal area of West Bengal on 25th May. Thousand and thousand of houses were destroyed and million of people became homeless, lost their crops, livestock, hose hold articles. Hundred of villages still marooned, thousand and thousand acres of agriculture land were under sea saline water, crops were destroyed, live stock drift away. Total power and communication- surface, telephone and electronic, has been broken down. Around 1500 large trees were uprooted and more than 2500 smaller ones badly damaged while the cyclone went past the area. The death toll stands at 115. Nearly 53 lakh people are effected and 5.24 lakh dwellings either partly or fully damaged. Breaches have occurred in 400 km of embankments in North and South 24 Parganas and along 100 km in other districts,”32 deaths were reported from South 24 Parganas, 26 from Darjeeling and 21 in North 24 Parganas, besides Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bankura, East Midnapore and Cooch Behar.The Government has appealed to center to declare the devastation as a “NATIONAL DISASTER.”As humanitarian response the Bishop of the Diocese of Durgapur Rt.Rev.Dr.P.K.Dutta called a emergency meeting of Disaster Mitigation Committee and send Mr.K.N.Das, diocesan social service coordinator, to visit the casualty area particularly to East Midnapur, that comes under its geographical province, to take a devastating situational assessment and how the Diocese can stand and support the victim of natural calamity
The Bishop of the Diocese of Durgapur sent appeals to the church partners, seeking for aid and prayers. The Methodist Church of United Kingdom, Episcopal Relief and Development Fund of USA, the Church Of North India Synod and CASA responded to the appeal of the Bishop of Durgapur. The Diocese Disaster Operational Team distributed one thousand sets of shari, dhoti, blanket and kitchen utensils as an immediate relief. These aid were distributed in Talgathari and Khejuri 1 panchayat.Now the work is in progress and the plan is to work out a rehabilitation for these villages. As per the rehabilitation plan digging tube wells for drinking water and some low cost houses are to be made. The digging of tube wells have started. The casualties are great and we still need your prayers and support for this rehabilitation work.