Relief Information from NGOs

Below is a list of organizations that have issued appeals for the suffering people of Upper Garhwal. All are active in the region, and updates on their progress will be posted as soon as they are made available. For more information on the various efforts and what you can do to help, please feel free to contact Rajiv Rawat at [email protected].

• PSI/DGSM Update on Relief Efforts and Needs (4-15-99)
• Red Cross Information Bulletin
• PAHAR Appeal to World Community
• PSI/DGSM Appeal to World NGO Community
• SAATHI Appeal to Uttarakhandi Community (update May 18)
• SEWAA Appeal to World Mountain Community

PSI/DGSM Update April 15, 1999

People's Science Institute / Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal

PSI and Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal (Bhattji's organization) have come together to form a network of local development organizations. We have worked out a year long programme for the relief and rehabilitation work in Garhwal.

The main components of this programme are:

• April 1999: Providing immediate relief, one tarpaulin sheet to about 3000 families and 25kg of rice to about 1000 families whose rations have been buried under the debris, in villages where our partner voluntary organizations have an effective presence. This will cost about Rs.10 lakhs for the tarpaulin sheets and Rs.2.25 lakhs for the rice.
• May 1999: Construction of temporary shelters for 1000 families. We have an assurance of support for 600 families, from CAPART. These shelters are essential for over 4000 families that have been rendered homeless.
• June - September 1999: Technology information campaign for earthquake-safe housing in affected villages.
• July - September 1999: Training of masons in earthquake-safe housing construction.
• October 1999 - March 2000: Construction of earthquake safe demonstration units (community centres) and technical assistance to villagers.
• January 2000 - June 2000: Provision of infrastructure, e.g., drinking water supply, sanitation, roads, in the new settlements.

Therefore, April and May components are immediately required.

Senior Government officials of UP and GOI have been periodically making announcement of very liberal relief measures. But our own tour, Bhattji and myself, and subsequent press reports indicate that action on the ground is tardy at best. Yesterday's Amar Ujala says that even though more than Rs.4 crore have been distributed in Chamoli District, tarpaulin sheets are still to reach most villages. Based on the Uttarkashi experience, it is probable that many villages that are far off from motorable roads are not going to get relief supplies for a long time. Villages dominated by Harijans are also going to be somewhat neglected. The local newspapers carry news items everyday about protest by villagers over the slow progress of the government relief assistance. These protests are at the block and the district levels. It is precisely in these areas that voluntary organizations in our network have an effective presence. Most of our contacts are with voluntary organisations led by local Harijan leaders such as Bihari Lalji of Lok Jeevan Vikas Bharti, Baisakhi Lal of Jan Vikas Sansthan, Sheri Lal of Gongad, and Devi Lal.

As a group, we are taking every care to avoid duplication of efforts by various organisations. We will ensure that there is no duplication of relief supplies raised by our network. The state government has introduced a system of relief cards. All relief materials supplied are entered in the family's card by the donor. This is an official attempt to ensure that there is no duplication of efforts by the various organisations, including the government.

We have been able to raise about Rs.7.5 lakhs for providing immediate relief. Their response so far is lukewarm. My readings of the international press suggest that there may be more concern about the Albanian refugees.

Other organisations of Indians, ICA (based in San Francisco Bay Area) and IDS (Chicago), can be contacted. Abhay Bhushan of ICA was with us last weekend. He can be reached at his e-mail address which is as follows: [email protected]. The e-mail address of ICA is: [email protected]

Best Wishes,
Ravi Chopra, PSI

Click here to reach PSI/DGSM.

PAHAR Earthquake Efforts

People's Association for Himalayan Area Research

Dear brothers and sisters,

The pristine township of Chamoli and neighbouring areas were devastated by a massive earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale on March 29 1999 at 1235am (IST). In the Chamoli earthquake 10,000-15,000 families in the region have been severely affected so far. Independent reports put the casualties at 200 dead, over 400 injured, over 1,000 houses totally collapsed in Chamoli district only. Fractured walls have made many more houses uninhabitable.

People are sleeping on the roads under the open sky and in the streets.Ê What is more worrisome is the destruction of people's means of earning a livelihood. We have no numbers for dead cows, ravaged fields, broken roads and electricity lines, water pipes and telephone lines. The fires blazing through adjacent forests have forced maneaters into residential areas. People are living in abject despair and an unrelenting threat of aftershocks.

So far, it is a natural calamity. However, it would be a human tragedy if we watched as hundreds of young children, women, and men die of starvation in the Himalayan cold. However, we must ensure that our contributions reach those in need and distress. We need to contribute in whichever way we can, cash, kind, and spreading awareness. Also, please take a moment to fold hands and bend your knees in prayer for those who are suffering through the wrath of nature. At times of collective pain, we can all get through with a little prayer and action.

PAHAR (People's Association for Himalayan Area Research - www.uttarakhand.net) is a grassroots movement led by academicians and people of vision devoted to service. Volunteers and local students at PAHAR are working onsite -- day and night to help rebuild the lives affected by the disaster. PAHAR urges you to join hands in this solemn effort. Please lend your hands and send cheques, ideas, and concerns to PAHAR at:

Parikrama, Talla Danda Tallital
Nainital, India 263001
Tel. 0091-05946-36191

or at:

2126 Apollo Dr Apt. #6A
Ocean NJ
USA 07724
Tel. 732-380-0471
[email protected]

narai, baduli, pyar ..

- PAHAR

Appeal for the Earthquake Hit people in Garhwal

People's Science Institute / Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal

Dear friends,

The earthquake that hit Garhwal, North India is taking a heavy toll. The newspaper reports and reports from independent agencies point out the lackadaisical way in which the relief is being organised.

The following emergency appeal has been launched jointly by People's Science Institute, a leading Non Governmental (Voluntary) Organisation located at Dehradun, 200 km away from the epicentre of this disaster & Dasholi Gram Swaraj Mandal.

Please do the needful and forward this to as many as possible. Please repond to People's Science Institute or Dasholi Gram Swaraj Mandal directly.

I am leaving on a tour of the affected areas tomorrow, April 2, 1999 and will be back on April 4th with fresh news. My colleagues are establishing a website.

SOS APPEAL: EARTHQUAKE IN NORTH INDIA

Appeal For Emergency Relief Assistance

This appeal is specially addressed to old friends who have generously supported humanitarian causes in the past.

The Garhwal region was hit by a massive earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale on Monday 29, 1999 at 12:35am (IST). We are fortunate that the relatively short duration of the earthquake, about 20 seconds, limited its worst impact to a relatively small region.

According to field reports available till now, about 15,000-20,000 families in the region have been severely affected so far. The official count is 100 dead, over 300 injured, over 1,000 houses totally collapsed (in Chamoli district only) and several times that number beyond inhabitation. So far no assessment is available of the livestock lost, the terraced fields ruined, the village roads destroyed, the number of water lines broken, electricity and telephone poles snapped, etc. Panic pervades the region owing to the continuing aftershocks and wild animals like leopards that stalk the countryside at night. The area continues to suffer serious after shocks everyday. Past experience indicates that such shocks will continue to occur for at least another month. In the meantime, people are sleeping outdoors for fear that the severely damaged houses may collapse totally.

DGSM Effort

Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt, one of the tallest Gandhian leaders in the country and the progenitor of the Chipko movement estimates that immediately some basic relief has to be provided in the most affected area. Considering that Governmental assistance moves slowly, it is necessary to provide assistance to help the survivors pull through the next 3 to 4 weeks. By then the Government relief machinery will have reached most of the affected area. Bhattji has estimated that to provide a tent and basic rations for a family for about 25 days will cost Rs1,000 per family (US$ 25). PSI is mobilising the stitching and dispatch of tents from Dehra Doon to Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal (DGSM), which is Bhattji's organisation, and other voluntary agencies in the affected region. DGSM is located in Gopeshwar, Chamoli district, which is probably the epicentre of the earthquake.

I urge to you to donate generously and immediately. You may send your contributions in the form of a bank order/demand draft/cheque in favour of either (a) People's Science Institute or (b) Dasholi Gram Swaraj Mandal.

Their addresses are:

People's Science Institute / Dasholi Gram Swaraj Mandal
252 Vasant Vihar, Phase-I Mandir Marg
Dehra Doon-248 006
Gopeshwar (Chamoli)-246 401

If you have any further questions, please contact me or my colleagues at PSI, by email/telephone/fax. The numbers are given below:

Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.angelfire.com/va/psi
Telephone: 91-135-773649, 91-135-77384; 91-135-760334

Dr. Unnikrishnan, P.V.

SAATHI Uttarakhandi Appeal

Society for Advancement and Awareness for Training Heritage & Integration

Dear friends,

The recent devastating earthquake in Garhwal Himalayas particularly in District Chamoli & Rudraprayag has left thousands of people homeless. More than 200 persons have lost their lives. The death toll is expected to be more since the reports from remote villages are yet to come.

The voluntary organisation "SAATHI" (Society for Advancement and Awareness for Training Heritage & Integration) is engaged in the relief work in the earthquake affected areas of Uttarakhand. This noble cause can not be accomplished without your kind support.

"SAATHI" requests all Uttarakhandies working outside India to donate generously in cash or kind for the rehabilitation and relief work of the affected victims of this natural calamity. Donations may kindly be sent to in the name of "SAATHI" payable to the State Bank of India, Paltan Bazar, Dehradun. The account no. of SAATHI is 27/3372.

Thanks,
Dr. Kusum Nautiyal

Delhi Address:
Founder Member "SAATHI"
1003, Kailash Tower, Kaushambi
Gaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Dehradun Address (Head office of SAATHI):
SAATHI
Village: Kargi
P.O. : Banzarawala
Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India

UPDATE: (May 18)

The SAATHI Group in Delhi has finally managed to obtain all the stuff from Indian Customs, which we [Uttarakhandi Omani community] forwarded through cargo for EQ relief work.

The goods are in Dehra Dun, and they have placed an order for tents to distribute in the remote villages of Chamoli. Dr. Kusum has briefed me that the rainy season is approaching and there are many homeless EQ victims staying on road. The advance team of SAATHI has identified few villages, where there is no sign of any relief work. SAATHI Team is again visiting Chamoli area this week and may be we will have more news from them after some time. - V. Nautiyal

SEWAA Mountain Forum / World Community Appeal

Society for Environment, Wildlife Action and Awareness

Dear friends,

Earthquake, landslide, forest fire has become a part and parcel of life for the people of Garhwal. Within a short period of 7 yrs another major earthquake rocked Chamoli distt. of Garhwal Himalayas on the night of 28th March at 12.35 am leaving behind many dead and many more injured and homeless. The number of casualties could be higher as the debris of the collapsed buildings were yet to be cleared.

More than 200 people died in major landslide a few months back in the Ukhimath area of Garhwal. Many low intensity tremors goes unnoticed in the seismic prone area every year. Seismologist have expressed concern over the increase in seismic activities in the Himalayan region. As Himalayas, one of the youngest mountain range of the earth, are still growing and unstable.

The aftershock may continue for the next 2 months in the region, says the experts.

This quake has renewed the concern over the safety of Tehri Dam in such a highly quake prone zone. No clear explanation has come from the seismological expert but environmentalist blame it on indiscriminate deforestation and flattening of mountain to lay road in the Garhwal hills.

Though local administrative authorities, Army, Air force, ITBP and Border Roads have pressed into the services for relief and rescue operation .

We at SEWAA (Society for Environment, Wildlife Action and Awareness), urged the world community through Mountain Forum to come forward to help our brothers and sisters in any form. The poor, helpless, homeless people of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi need our help and assistance in any form.

So let's join hands to make some contribution in the form of Food, Cloth, Medicines, money for the relief and rescue work for the mountain community.

A team of SEWAA will be visiting these villages on friday of every week for a month to offer them help.

Send your contribution to:

The Secretary,
Society for Environment, Wildlife Action and Awareness (S.E.W.A.A.)
34 Mohini Road, Dehradun 248001
India

Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.uttarakhand.org/SEWAA/