INDIA NEWS

HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA, LONDON

PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 1, 2001 

GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF UPDATE

Extent of Loss of Life and Property Computed so far

 Mobilisation of Armed Forces

• Army’s ‘Operation Sahayata’ involves 54 columns, 7 Regiments, 7 mobile field hospitals apart from the existing Military Hospital in Ahmedabad, comprising of close to 16000 personnel drawn from Infantry, Engineers, Medical, Signals. Army personnel have performed more than 10,000 major surgeries and innumerable minor operations besides orthopaedic and first aid assistance, rescued over 250 persons, recovered 1200 bodies, and evacuated 400 persons.

• Indian Air Force has carried over 1000 tonnes of relief material through 97 sorties.

• Indian Navy is assisting with INMARSAT communication at Porbandar. It is helping civil authorities in assessment of damages in all ports, and also in patrolling affected areas.

• Navy’s major help has been by treating patients on two ships converted into hospitals and evacuating more seriously injured to Mumbai using two other ships which carry relief material on return. Dry rations from Naval Establishments and Jamngar, Porbandar and Dwaraka moved by road for distribution at Anjar and Gandhidham. Cooked meals/bread also distributed in remote villages.

• Total Manpower deployed by armed forces – approximately 20, 000.

Further Relief Measures by Central Government

• The Government decided to waive the ceiling of Rs 10 lakh (Rs. 1 million) for taking up schemes under Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) by Members of Parliament outside their constituencies. This would enable MPs to spend any sum for reconstruction of quake-hit Gujarat out of the Rs. 20 million (approx. US$ 500,000) allocated to them in one year. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Information Technology had suggested that such a change could lead to the possibility of generating Rs 5000 million from the members in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Indian Parliament) alone, as the members of this House do not have a territorial constituency.

•  Prime Minister said that Government had discussed financial aspects of relief and rehabilitation work. He added, “The first instalment of money has already been given to Gujarat government. We will concentrate now on rehabilitation”.  He stressed that there was no confusion in coordinating relief measures and everyone, including state governments were keen to help.

Additional Financial Measures

• A special meeting of the Union Cabinet held in New Delhi on 1 February decided to levy two percent income tax surcharge on annual incomes more than Rs 60,000 in the financial year 2001-02.  A further surcharge at the rate of two percent will be payable by companies. These measures are expected to raise Rs 13 billion.

Power and Petroleum

• Power supply restored in Bhuj, Nakhatrana, Anjar, Adipur, Gandhidham, Mandvi and Mundra. Power restored in 198 out of 949 villages of Kutch district.

• Normal Tank loading operations reported at Sidhpur, Sabarmati, Hazira, Koyali & Jamnagar.

• Reliance Refinery has started operating at about 55% of the capacity.

Water

• Water supplies provided through water tankers & HDPE tanks.

Communication

• Immediate communication via satellite established with Bhuj and followed up through HAM radio. Now, telecom services at Bhuj, Anjar & Gandhidham. Mobile communication restored partially.

International Help

• Further donations/ relief supplies being sent by countries include: Bhutan (Bhutanese currency 20 million), Denmark (assistance amounting to $1.8 million), European Union has pooled 38 million Euros (Rs. 1600 million), Oman (two more relief consignments on board chartered flights), Italy ($2.8 million aid and a team of WFP experts to organize airlifting essential items such as health kits, blankets, and generators on behalf of the U.N. Humanitarian Response, OCHA, WHO and the Italian Government), Japan (further aid of US$700,000 apart from two consignments of relief materials), Russia (Aeroflot flying in relief supplies from Europe), Singapore (US$50,000 worth of modular tents, ground sheets and blankets), Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)of the US, the executive agent for all Department of Defence Humanitarian Affairs sending over US $ 1.5 millions in vital equipment to the disaster relief at no cost to India. US Congress is discussing a bi-partisan resolution on the earthquake which supports additional American and international assistance to India. General Motors of U.S. (US$100,000 and the use of its internet sites GM Global Aid to provide up to the minute news and information on the relief effort).

DONATING FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Financial Donations

In addition to Prime Minster’s Relief Fund, information about which is contained in the High Commission’s Press Release of 30 January, donations can also be made to :-

Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Gujarat

(details below, under "External Aid Coordination Cell")

Every donation will be acknowledged by the Prime Minister’s or Chief Minister’s Office, as the case may be.

Cheques/ drafts for the above donations may be sent directly to respective addresses or to the High Commission of India, India House, Aldwych, London WC2B 4NA for onward transmission.

Material Donations

With a view to streamlining and facilitating mobilisation for relief and rehabilitation abroad, the following items are identified as priority in immediate and short terms. {These requirements are for one temporary colony for 1000 families (5000 people) in the affected areas. A total of 100 such colony-camps are required.}

REQUIREMENTS

 Items required for Shelter :

(1) Tents
(2) Tarpaulin Pandals for 20,000 sq. yards
(3) Tarpaulin flooring for the ground for 20,000 sq.yards

Items required for drinking water and food

Water purifying tablets/ units

Generators/patromax/GEB Connection

10 Kilowatt Generator Set. No. 1 and 1 small Generator Set of 1.5 KW.

Emergency Medicines & Medical items required

(1) Various kinds of Antibiotic and Emergency Drugs
(2) Crutches for lower limb
(3) Portable X-ray Machines
(4) Rehabilitation Sets (Physiotherapy)
(5) Portable Sonography
(6) Movable Operation Theatre with moveable Shadowless Lamps
(7) Gensets
(8) Orthopedic implants related to fractures
(9) Pop Bandages
(10) Auto claves
(11) Disposable sets Caps, Gowns, Masks

Disaster Management and Communication

(1) Mobile SAT phone facility

EXTERNAL AID COORDINATION CELL
set up at N.R.G. Bhavan, Ahmedabad

Government of Gujarat have set up an External Aid Coordination Cell at the NRG Bhavan, Ahmedabad to coordinate and monitor the external aid. The Cell is headed by Shri S.K. Shelat, ex-Chief Secretary and Adviser to Honoroubale Chief Minister, Gujarat State. There are other senior officials in this Cell, including Dr. Kirit Shelat, IAS, Industries Commissioner and Shri A.J. Shukla, IAS, Managing Director, Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb).

 If the aid is in the form of cash or cheque, the same may be sent in the name of Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Revenue Department, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Contact person for this purpose is Shri S.N. Dave, Joint Secretary, Revenue Department, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar. His phone numbers are : 91-02712 51911 to 51917 (Office) 91-02712 26833 (Residence), 91 98250 37408 (mobile).

If the aid is in the form of kind (such as medicines, eatables, etc.), the same may be sent by Air. This would be received at the Domestic Terminal of the Ahmedabad Airport where a Cell headed by Shri M.S. Dagur, IAS who is attending to this work, has been set up. The contact numbers of this Cell are 91-079 2869261, 91-079 286 7269.

If the aid in kind is being sent through any other mode, except by Air, the same may be sent to Shri G.C. Murmu, IAS, Additional Commissioner of Relief, Revenue Department, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar. His contact numbers are 91-02712 51911 to 51917 (Office) and Mobile No. 91 98250 37427.

Important Contact Numbers for Disaster Relief

Press Release No. 15/2001  

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