Report by Dr. J Anthony Dass, President, Service Civil International India on his visit to Earthquake areas in Maharashtra State from 11th to 18th October 1993.

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Title: Report by Dr. J Anthony Dass, President, Service Civil International India on his visit to Earthquake areas in Maharashtra State from 11th to 18th October 1993.
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REPORT MADE EY DR. J. ANTHONY DASS, PRESIDENT, SERVICE CIVIL

INTERNATIONAL INDIA, ON HIS VISIT TO EARTH QUAKE AREAS IN
MAHARASHTRA S ATE FROM 11TH TO 18th OCTOBER. 1993.
On hearing the news of the 30.9.1993, Earth Quake at Lathode
and Urmerga Districts of Maharastra, I attended two meetings called
by the Co-ordir.ating Council of Voluntary organisation, in Bangalore,

to help the E^rth quake victims.

On 11th October, 1993, I left Bangalore to Bijapur - Gulburga,
Bidar tinroute to Lathore,

I noticed several houses were damaged in Shabtld Taluk,
Gulburga and the loss of death was minimal as many people were sleepiI met the
ng outside because of the high temperature in the area.
Collector of Bijapur, Bidar and Private Secretary to Gulburga Collector
and came to understand they are issuing with some compensations and

making arrangements for repairing of houses (if possible)’ and
allotment of new sites for the victims.
on 15th Oct., I reached Lathore and made a trip to about 20
villages around Kilari, Kilariwada, Nandurga, Lambala, Philami, etc.,
about 10 villages and more have been completely destroyed, people

are in acute depression, most of the survivors staring vacantly in
the space, powerless to speak and unable to cry.

Kilari, Kilariw^da, Philani, Nijrmbala, where more than 30 %
The entire region has
of the family members in the area are no more,

made a mountainable rubble.

Kilari has been mostly focused because
of its promiaity and also Sri. vilas Rao ^eshmukh, the Hon’ble Revenue
There are dbout
Minister, Govt, of Maharashtra, ails from Kilari.

75 villages affected in this quake - out of which nearly 25 teery
badly and 10 has been completely destroyed.

Death toll accorcing

to the Government’s Mahajar Records are 9,748, but people in the
vill.ges say ground 15,000.

Some villagers told me that the death toll and property loss
would have been minimum
the rumer of dam crack has not sphrcad,
so the survivors ran away to save their life®
By the time they
returned, only they saw that the Military, police and other

were there.

During this period, many valuables has been sweeped out.
Contd.

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Nearly numbering to about hundreds of relief agencies, volunteer's
are working.

Some of the International Organisations like CARE,

CARITAS, CASA, OXFAM, are operating from Lathode / Umargha
and many like fcSS, Bajarangabali , BJP, Vishva Hindu Panshath,

Youth Congress, Shrama Jeevana Sangha, S.O.S. Children, Mahila
Sanghatan and some other organisations from Aurangabad, Hyderabad,
Pune, etc., were also working in the allotted villages by helping
in cooking, distributing food / clothes / and other utenciles
which is a basic necessaries for the affected victims.
It is much
desasters site to see that the Jamindars who never stretched their
hands has a problems now to stretch their hands.

Minor trfimiers continue to occur in Seisamic zone, around 30 Kilometers, people are afraid to sleep inside their house, they also have

to^provided with shelter, water, electricity, which seems to be
zigantic task for the Maharastra Government.

As on 18th October, 1993, about 55 Community kitchens has been

set up by Government, about 5,000 temporary Shelters with zinc sheets,
of a large size £©& 200 feet x 60 feet has been provided and almost
village schools have been reppened with a make shift.
American
tents. Agricultural Seeds have been distributed.
In ech village,
I visited there were two medical centres with enough medicines
and equipments, one run by Maharashtra Government, another run by

B.J.P. / Viswahindu parishat Combine and also met many Red Cross
Vans running as mobile despensaries•

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Most of the affected villages are connected now with the

Electricity fcr temporary communnity sheds with flood lights in the
streets, water tank to the capacity of 10,000 litres has been

provided with the Borewell facilities and tankers are also in
hundreds by supplying portable water to these affected villages
According to a Government Official * they are bent upon
constructing 18,000 houses by January / February 1994, officials

told me that they shall be commencing with the work after Dasara
Festival.

Japanese model earth quake proof houses are also on

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display for the farmers to approve.

Farmers were reluctant

as they de not like toilet and bathroom within the house.
As on 18th Oct., 1993, police and military personals were still!

existing in the affected villages and their protection and help
were in f-11 swing.
Roads have been blocked in some areas
and only illow people with identity cards.

Internal transport

is very root.
But an other distarous is that, rain is continuous
ly pouring and the soil is dump, but still volunteers
can live in American tents with taurpauli^ns on the floor.
In K^sthur, Kawta Villages, out break of skin diseases and stMiy
case of gUstro entrities has been reported.

It wes found that the relief and rehabilitation work has been
organized in a systematic manner.
There were two Deputy Collectors
1 for supplies nd 1 for procurement for each cluster of villages.
1 Thasildar is incharge of each village.
Every evening at 7.30 P.M., a meeting is convened in the
lhasildar‘s office, for monitoring and the progress of works

considerations.
Every night at 9.30 P.M. the District Collector
hus programmed a meeting tt the Collectorate Office, both at
Datur a. c Omarga to monitor the progress of work with
efficiency and prompitude.

During my visit, I had the opportunity in meeting Thasildar,
Sri . Paphulkar and Hon'ble Minister for Revenue Sri. Vilas RaOv
Deshmukh, at Latur.
I suggest to S.C.I. to come out of past glory and realise
the i resent conditions and realities and take appropriate step
V.
keeping in mind the
^Liability
and man power and money in

group level.

1.

The ^.C.I. can join any international team who are already

working by providing 2 to 4 able bodied willing and dedicated
volunteers, for their continuing in the relief operations.
2.

S.C.I. can adopt one village for the next three months;can

do only Animation work with 3 to 5 volunteers, by changing
each from 2 to 3 weeks0

3.

Continuous work camps for 3 months with duration of 2 weeks
on rehabilitation / solidarity, etc.

4.

Encouraging the individuals of the S.C.I. volunteers to stay
in the affected areas and give moral support / guidance / help
to the people.

HlUtttn

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