FLOOD VICTIMS

Bengal CPI(M) & LF Govt Initiate

Mass Relief Effort

B Prasant

A STATEWIDE mass drive has been initiated by the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) to provide relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims across the state.  Explaining the issue before the media on October 1, Bengal unit secretary of the CPI(M) Biman Basu said that the state LF government was engaged in relief and rehabilitation work in a commendable manner and to the best of its ability.  The mass drive would further strengthen the relief and reconstruction effort.

Biman Basu appealed to the workers of the CPI(M) to brook no delay in making collections of funds as well as of relief materials from the people of Bengal through a house-to-house drive.  CPI(M) workers have been urged upon to donate at least ten rupees each. The mode of fund collection from the people would be done through coupons and slit-top coin boxes.  Kolkata unit of the CPI(M) had already donated five lakhs of rupees, and more was being collected from the denizens of the metropolis, revealed Biman Basu.

Close to 80 lakh of people in 16 districts are severely affected by the flood that had taken place in a big way.  Seventy-eight people have already died, swept away by the currents or being electrocuted.  Agriculture alone stands a loss of Rs 1500 crore.  The number of houses fully or partially destroyed is three lakh.  Two-and-a-half lakh people have put up in 938 relief camps across Bengal. The finance department of the LF government has already sanctioned Rs 85 crore for relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. 

Biman Basu also appealed to the festival committees, of the city and beyond, to donate as much as possible to the chief minister’s fund.  Recalling the way relief was distributed on earlier occasion by the CPI(M), Biman Basu said that truckloads of material would be rushed to the affected districts as soon as a substantial collection was made.  The CPI(M) leader pointed out that at present, the rain had slackened off, but the offloading of barrage water was responsible for the deep inundation of fresh areas like Nabadwip in Nadia.

Biman Basu also appealed to the sponsors of the bandh on October 9 to withdraw the programme in view of the floods and the festive season.  The bandh has been called by the Trinamul Congress and a few smaller political outfits on the entirely non-issue of the ‘plight of the Singur peasants.’  Pradesh Congress, keeping duly in mind the de novo period of love-and-affection between the two Congresses in the offing, has supported the bandh call.

GOVERNMENT’S RELIEF EFFORTS

The Bengal Left Front government sprang into action as soon as the widespread rainfall and the swelling of the rivers and the rivulets assumed threatening proportions.  The recent spate of incessant rain has affected south Bengal the most with reports of rain clouds disgorging massive amounts of rain elsewhere in the state as well.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the finance minister Dr Asim Dasgupta (the latter running high fever) have gone to the worst affected districts of south Bengal and are engaged in directly relief and rehabilitation from the spot.

The reconstruction drive would only be taken up after the water had receded appreciably. The task of road repairing, refurbishing damaged irrigation bunds, restoring buildings, and renovation bridges, too, could only be attempted after the water levels have gone down sufficiently.

The Left Front government has sanctioned 15 crore of rupees for improved seeds to get the kisan ready for the Rabi season. At the same time, emphasis has been given to preventive health measures as well as on curative ones.  A team of 580 doctors are moving around the districts coping with the emerging health problems and taking care of emergency medical situations.  Some of the doctors have to travel in boats 110 of which have been pressed into use with 450 experienced boatmen at the helms.      

The usual lot of bamboo poles, lakhs of sheets of stout tarpaulin, plastic sheeting material, planks, and emergency lights have been supplied to the flood affected areas.  Dry food is being supplied on a regular basis.  Chulas are being set up in areas where the water level has gone down for providing the affected people with a welcome menu of hot, cooked food.  Bottled waters have been supplied to prevent water-borne diseases from raising their ugly heads.