Christian agencies intensify relief efforts as Maharashtra limps back to life

Mumbai – In the wake of the recent flood last month that brought Maharashtra to a standstill, claiming over 800 lives and damaging over Rs. 20,000 crores (USD $ 4.8 billion) worth of properties and business, the state government has requested financial assistance of Rs. 8760 crores (USD $ 2 billion) from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Christian Today has confirmed.

The interim memorandum submitted to the Central Government by Maharashtra on August 16 breaks up the sizeable amount as follows: Rs. 6556 crores towards direct losses, Rs. 1200 crores for development of a new drainage system for the metropolis and Rs. 1000 crores for the Mithi river project.

“We are hopeful that the Centre will respond to our request soon,” said RM Premkumar, chief secretary of Maharashtra Government.

The memorandum does not include the relief and rehabilitation cost for Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur districts – some of the areas worst affected by the flood. According to Premkumar, a revised memorandum will be sent to the Centre once the state government receives specific details of damage from all the district collectors.

Besides being engaged in relief and rehabilitation efforts, the state government is also bracing for an outbreak of water–borne epidemics. In fact, the State Health Department has reported that till date, 250 people have died due to water–borne diseases following the flood and is expecting the number to grow.

Meanwhile, an eight–member team from Defence Research Laboratory of Gwalior has arrived in Mumbai to proceed to Sangli and Kolhapur to assess the situation in the wake of spread of diseases like malaria, dengue and leptospirosis there.

Water borne diseases is the general term used to denote diseases associated with poor water supply or quality. In developing world countries, four–fifths of all illness is caused by water–borne diseases, with diarrhoea being the leading cause of childhood death. Of the 14 major floods, which occurred globally between 1970 and 1994, floods in West Bengal led to a large cholera epidemic.

Among the various factors held responsible for water borne diseases, flooding assumes a leading role and is associated with an increased risk of infection due to significant population displacement and compromise in the water quality.