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More than a hundred people have perished in the worst floods to hit this desert region in over 300 years. With many still missing in marooned villages, the number of casualties is expected to rise once the floodwaters recede
Several villages in the desert district of Barmer, in Rajasthan, are still submerged under 20 feet of water, three days after incessant rains that caused unexpected flash floods in the region stopped. At 130 people have died, and, since more than 250 people are missing, presumed dead, the death toll from this unforeseen disaster in the drought-prone region could rise substantially.
The navy has been pressed into action and scuba divers are aiding the rescue operations. The army, that has been helping in the relief operations since the tragedy began, has rescued 3,200 people so far.
A week after the never-before-seen floods, the region has witnessed unimaginable scenes of death and destruction. Hundreds of villages in this drought-prone desert district have been turned into lakes by the unprecedented deluge. Over 800,000 of Barmer\'s two million people are reportedly affected due to the floods. About 17.35 lakh hectares of land have been destroyed, 75,194 cattle killed and crop damage estimated at Rs 1,300 crore.
Barmer, which receives 277 mm of rainfall in an entire year on an average, recorded 577 mm of rainfall between Aug 19-21.
A day-and-a-half after it stopped raining there was still 10 feet of water in Kawas, the worst-affected village where only the tops of double-storey houses are visible. Since flooding is an entirely new phenomenon in the area, there is not a single drain so the water will take a long time to recede.
Ironically, the disaster began with a celebration. On August 19, when it began raining, the 5,000 inhabitants of Kawas were ecstatic. "We were seeing good rains after a six-year drought in the area. When it rained through the night, everybody thought it was a good sign," says Rajendra Kumawat, who survived a 36-hour ordeal by sitting on top of a sand dune while water swept away people around him.
Though the deluge continued over the weekend, not a single person anticipated the looming disaster. On Monday morning, however, while the village slept, the level of the water had risen to 15 feet, inundating the entire village and adjoining areas. "The road from the airbase in Uttarlai to the village turned into a river. It engulfed the village completely," says Kumawat.
Most of the villagers clambered up their houses and government buildings; some ran towards sand dunes and trees. But many were swept away by the swirling floodwaters.
With their houses damaged, livestock dead, road and rail connectivity hampered, people from the marooned hamlets have found refuge on the sand dunes. They have no food and are desperate for help. "We will die if the administration doesn't help us fast. The cattle are all dead, swept away. We will die too. We've never seen so much water in our lives. Even the elderly say they've never seen so much water in the last 75 years," says Indra Ram, another resident of the village.
Though the army has managed to evacuate the village after nearly 24 hours, many villagers are still missing. Survivors claim to have spotted hundreds of bodies floating in the water. Nearly a week later, people have given up hope of finding survivors in submerged huts and kutcha houses.
Meanwhile, corpses have lined up on National Highway No 15. Relief secretary R K Meena recalls spotting at least 15 bodies in Bhadka village, adjoining Kawas. In Malwa village, over 36 people are missing and divers have been called in to retrieve the bodies. An official death count in the district has not yet been carried out.
Source: PTI,August 28, 2006
The Indian Express, August 26, 2006
www.ndtv.com, August 26, 2006
www.ibnlive.com, August 26, 2006
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