Author: Sr Seema S.H.M.
Publication: The Examiner
Date: February 17, 2001
We have been well informed through
various media regarding the disastrous earthquake of Jan. 26th, 2001 which
has taken the lives of over a lakh of people and thousands of people are
wounded as well as unimaginable destructions of high rise buildings and
other losses of movable and immovable properties. We were anxious and waiting
for some informations about the present condition in Kutch and of our Sisters
in Ahmedabad city and in Kheda (Vadtal). As the T.V news had been broadcasting
time to time about Ahmedabad, Kutch, Anjar, Bhuj, Gandhidam and Bhachao,
Sr Anandlata and myself decided to make a quick visit to the earthquake
victims.
We left for Ahmedabad on 29th Jan.
at 4.00 a.m. with an intention of making an observatory survey. On our
arrival we were informed by our Sisters in Ahmedabad, that two of the four
sisters had already left for Bhachao to initiate the relief work where
NGOs and relief materials had not reached till then. On the same day we
had to attend an important meeting at Xavier Institute of Social Service
where more than fifty NGOs including CARITAS, CHAI, IGSS, XISS and the
Diocese of Ahmedabad were present. They have planned a massive Relief Programme
with all the necessary requirements of the victims, as well as of the volunteers.
Nearly a thousand volunteers had already enrolled their names for relief
work. Fr Cedric Prakash S.J. chaired the meeting and gradually the teams
were sent to the relief camps in Bhachao and Gandhidam. Kutch being the
second largest district of India, had many villages and talukas which were
not reached by any volunteers. Bhachao is a very distant place from the
city of Ahmedabad covering almost a long journey of nine hours by road.
The bridges had collapsed; Telephone lines were disconnected due to the
collapse of the buildings. We could not meet our sisters Meena and Smruti.
However we were informed by Fr Joseph Appao of the Cathedral that the sisters
had telephoned to the Cathedral that they had reached half the way and
they were safe. Subsequently Srs Karuna and Kusum joined the medical teams
in Bhachao and Gandhidam. They are still continuing the work with Caritas
and the C.M.I. Fathers.
On 30th of Jan. 2001 we moved out
into tie different corners of the city of Ahmedabad such as Mani Nagar,
Vastrapur, Vasna and Vadilal Hospital where the earthquake victims were
hospitalised. It was heart breaking to have a glimpse of those patients
who are brought from the remote villages to this hospital's Orthopaedic
wards. Eighty percent of the victims are under the care of Orthopaedic
medical staff due to their multiple fractures. It was a tragic experience
to listen to their fatal incidents. Most of them were the only survivors
while rest of their family members were buried under the debris. Even these
patients were discovered and unearthed only after two or three days. Majority
of them appeared to be under fear-psychosis while a few of them expressed
the mercy of God (Bhagavan) in saving their lives through the kindness
of people like us, volunteers. They certainly experienced the love of God.
Meanwhile our former team returned to Ahmedabad after six days and we were
consoled. They visited ten villages of Bhachao and organised immediate
medical relief, supply of drinking water, temporary tents and other basic
amenities with the help of Diocesan Procurator, Fr Joseph Appao. The third
team of sisters (Nurses and Social Workers) have left already on 5th Feb.
from Mumbai to Kutch. The team of sisters working in Kutch have already
got a Satellite phone and informed us that the rescue operations are going
on well. Now the young sisters are replacing the senior ones week by week.
Here are some of our experiences
during the visit:
1. We have eyewitnessed the clearance
work of huge cranes searching for human bodies which might have been hidden
under a ten story building. It was completely flattened to dust. The dead
bodies have been burnt together. The villages have become graveyards in
Gujarat. Decayed bodies may cause outbreak of epidemics like cholera etc.
2. A school of 4-story was so strangely
collapsed as it was seen just like sandwich of benches and desks in which
the students of standard eleventh were attending their Science practical
classes. Except a few all of them have perished.
3. Similarly many sky scrappers
have just sat on the ground as their thin pillars gave way. Even the cars
parked under them have been smashed.
4. Our sisters have seen the swinging
of their neighbours' houses and the neighbours watched the convent too
in the same dangerous condition, developing several cracks in the convent,
chapel walls. The statue of Mother Mary fell from its stand and broke into
pieces. The convent premises has been made available as a temporary shelter
with a tent in front of our house.
5. Due to fear, the people of the
affected areas are coming together to the common open places and sleep
in tents.
6. Even when we were there, the
mobile calls were coming from the collapsed buildings, asking their people
to come and save them.
At this moment of disaster and crisis,
we need to reach out with our concentrated efforts to heal the wounds of
the broken hearted, several orphans, widows and those neglected ones in
the Harijan villages. They too are the children of our loving Father.
Rehabilitation and disaster management
would be the second phase of the work in these earthquake hit areas. Let
us trust in God's goodness and mercy which will be channelised through
our generosity in volunteering ourselves in this International year of
Volunteers.
