Flood impact in slums and appeal for support - Jana Sahayog

3rd October 2009
Bangalore


Grave flood situation in North Karnataka affects hundreds of
households across scores of slums
Immediate intervention and relief required

Dear Friends.
Over the past week heavy rains have lashed across North Karnataka
causing severe damage and destruction to life and property. While the
flooding of the hundreds of villages have been rightly highlighted in
the press and media, the devastating impacts on the scores of slums
across various cities of North Karnataka is yet to be highlighted. As
an organization working in slums in Karnataka it is our duty to bring
this to the attention of the government and the public.

We have sent that slums in 6 cities have been badly impacted with
hundreds of houses collapsed forcing the slum dwellers to live in the
open pouring rain while possessions of sum dwellers have also been
washed away in flood waters. Those houses and huts left standing are
engulfed in water and women, children and elderly persons are forced
to live in the pouring rain and cold. Complicating this misfortune is
the fact that these slum dwellers who are daily wage labourers have
not been able to earn a single rupee over the past week. In all life
has come to complete standstill and the slum dwellers are at the mercy
of the falling rain and floods which continue unabated while the State
Government failed to even acknowledge the same let alone take steps to
provide respite and relief to the slum dwellers.

ß In city Gadag the slums Bhavanagadde, Vivekanandanagara, Jawaligalli
and Hucchereshwaranagara are flooded with about 40-45 houses having
collapsed.
ß In city Hospet the slums Mudlapura, Indiranagara, BTR Nagara,
Thirumalanagara (Dasaraonne), Horekeri and Golarahatti (Theosophical
Lodge) are flooded with 55 houses have collapsed and here the taluk
administration has given compensation of Rs. 3000/- to some families.
The Tahsildar has also organized for temporary food arrangements for
the slum dwellers.
ß In Hubli the slums Hunnekal Siddeshwaranagara, Kulkarni Hakkala and
rehabilitated Gandhiwada are all affected by floods and under water
while in Dharwad the slums Ambedkarnagara, Lakshmisinganakere and
Jannatnagar are fully flooded. Here too the families are living in
desperate conditions with no response from local administration.
ß Gulbarga – the slums Ganganagar, Jhilanabad and Vijayanagara are
fully affected by rains and flood waters with several houses having
collapsed. Most of the houses have water in them.
ß Raichur – the slums Siyatalab, LBS nagara, Ambedkarnagara,
Jaheerabad, Hairjanawada and Sathyanath Colony are badly affected with
water in most houses. These slums are completely affected and the
situation is very desperate here.
ß Koppala – slums Sardargalli, Gowriangala and Shraya Colony are
severely affected and completely inundated by water. Here more than 20
houses have collapsed and people are living in the open.
ß Bijapur – more than 30 slums are affected with houses having
collapsed in each slum.

In all it is seen that almost all these slums are inundated by water
and in most cases with no way for the water to drain out. As such slum
dwellers are forced to live in these stagnant waters. There has been
the collapse of hundreds of houses in most of these slums and there
have several casualties as well. The response of the local
administration has been shoddy at best. There is a desperate need for
immediate relief to be delivered to the slum dwellers especially food
and blankets, sweaters, warm clothes.

We request you to contribute whatever you can so that these can be
immediately reached out to the slum dwellers in these cities. Jana
Sanhyog will be coordinating the entire effort. Hence, we request that
any cash contributions be made through cheque in the name of Jana
Sahayog, Bangalore (IT exemption under 80G applicable). Warm clothes,
blankets, etc, may be delivered to Jana Sahayog, No.1, 2nd Floor, 10th
Cross, 6th Main, Sampangiramanagar, Bangalore 560027; Phone Nos:
080-22128565 / 9480425037: Email: janasahayog@gmail.com

Thanking you


Issac Arul Selva