Earthquake reports

Kutch Earthquake Mars 2001

Kutch earthquake tragedy is now known all over the world. We are involved modestly as follows:

1. 250 food [and other needs] bags were prepared by tent school - teachers. Our workers distributed them in the affected villages of Kutch fro the fund collected for the purpose. There were desperate inquiries from so many friends of Sweden, about the safety of us and tuff-supported projects.

2. Both Koki and I were in Dharampur at that time. Surprisingly, we came to know about the tragedy via Sweden [Margaretha], when we reached home, in the evening. We are grateful for support poured from hundreds of Swedish families and as usual, supplemented by SIDA. [Bags for food and things of daily basic needs] The first installment of Swedish support has reached us recently. The planning is in progress for its best utilization for the poorer families in the affected villages of Kutch.

3. The Tuff jeep was offered to a team of surveyors and volunteers who almost immediately rushed to Kutch.

4. Both of us personally visited the area and particularly two schools [a] Rajansar and [b] Mangawana, to assess the damage. We tried to provide speedy information from time to time to Tuff. It was used by them effectively in media of Sweden, with marvelous results.

5. We are grateful to Kumla Sister School for considering [according to reports from reliable sources, including a teacher ~ Dunhill, who earlier visited us] that the school is planning to take up Rajansar school reconstruction as the project of the season [Operation Day]. That way the thread between our schools and one of the pioneers in Sister Schools Movement in Sweden will be re-established.

6. We must also thank Alleaskolan for its special contribution towards the food - bags. When the air was surcharged with quake news, two of the teachers [Sven Olof and Tommy] from that school were with us, to study the project activities. They attended a very important planning meeting of Gandhian workers and noted down all the suggestions came from the participants.

Bhikhu

28 jan 2001

TURSAM RÄDDNING FÖR BARN I RASERAD TUFF-SKOLA
I den nu av jordbävning svårt drabbade indiska delstaten Gujarat har Tyresö Ulands- och Fredsförening (TUFF) sedan 1971 har finansierat hundratals skolprojekt . En av dessa skolor är Rajansar nära jordbävningens epicentrum. Den 28 jan. rapporterade BHIKHU VYAS i Radio Tuff per telefon:
-- Hela skolbyggnaden i Rajansar förstördes av jordbävningen. Men tursamt nog var barn och lärare uppställda på skolgården när byggnaden rasade ihop. Det var på morgonen, men man hade samlats utomhus för att hälsa den indiska flaggan, eftersom den 26 januari är "Republikens Dag" i Indien.

MARGARETHA PETERSEN från Tuff besökte för några år sedan Rajansar:
-- Vi hjälpte till med att finansiera skolbyggnaden plus en brunn i detta mycket torra område. Det är så långt västerut i Gujarat att man nästan kunde se över till Pakistan.

DE FLESTA PROJEKTEN OSKADDA
Inget av de nu pågående Tuff-projekten har drabbats av jordbävningen, berättar Bhikhu Vyas. De sju svensk-finansierade skolorna i Dharampur (södra Gujarat) och alla tältskolorna bland sockerrörshuggarnas barn är oskadda, liksom Tuff Friendship House och Tyresö Kommun Teachers' House.
Inte heller de många projekten i Junagadh-distriktet, som ligger ganska nära epicentrum har skadats nämnvärt. Alltså står skolbyggnaderna Kumla Wing och Nyboda Wing, uppkallade efter Tyresöskolorna Kumla och Nyboda, kvar liksom TUFF Library & Reading Hall, som uppfördes för Tyresöpengar på skolan Sarvoday Ashram.
------------------------------------------------------------------

För mer information:
Margaretha & Gunnar Petersen, tel 08 - 712 3303.
Bhikhu Vyas: tel 0091 2625 20154
(OBS! Gujarat är 4½ timme före CET. Kl 18 i Sverige är alltså kl 22.30 i Gujerat)

PS: Under 1990-talet skickade Tuff med SIDA-stöd uppåt en miljon kr VARJE år till projekt i Gujarat

January 28

Dear friends
Sending this note to all who are sympathetic and are really concerned. I could follow up with more ideas, later on. Will be happy to have your reflections and responses. With all the best. We are a family and should rise to the occasion, as best as we could.

We have been so moved with the stream of anxious inquiries. Of course, because of Margaretha and friends, all of you know that we all at Valod and in Dharampur are safe and well. Nevertheless, the situation in many parts of Gujarat is very grave, Bhuj city and the surrounding area being the worst hit. The city of more than 100000 is almost disappeared. Ahmedabad and Surat [Close to Valod] are also badly affected. It is a calamity of international scale and will require the best possible help from many a quarters. No mighty government or voluntary efforts can cope up with this crisis.

Finally let me come round to the critical issue, we are facing at the moment. Of course, I consider Dharampur as nothing less than a man made disaster - nothing less - we cannot totally overlook the natural disaster of a very big magnitude. I am getting many letters from my oversees acquaintances. One Dutch lady, who worked with us in BALWADIES [Tent Schools] for 6 months about a decade ago, as part of her PHD. study on 'Migrant Girl Child' straight way, within moments of the tragedy, asked me to send our bank account No.[Which I followed within moments]. Kari from Finninge school ~ Strängnäs in Sweden ~ asked me what can they do ! I have narrated today afternoon, in the course of my Radio talk [directly from Dharampur], the following incident, which I came to know, a couple of seconds before I left for Dharampur.

In a school [earlier supported by Tuff] named Rajansar in Kachchha ~ the worst hit with 20 000 deaths announced so far by the Govt, radio and more to be known day by day ~ the 150 students were celebrating Republic Day, in the open ground, and were performing Flag hoisting ceremony. In front of them their only school and the hostel collapsed totally. Of course they were saved, but they are now without the school and the hostel. There could be many such cases, hidden at the moment, but would come in the open, once the communication link [road-rail-phones everything in a mess at the moment is reestablished. The number could be very big all over Gujarat. A special drive could be launched and we may handle this emergence projects. Just loud thoughts, in the night, after I returned from Dharampur - a bit exhausted person.

Bhikhu

January 31, 2001

Dear Margaretha,

Jani finally managed to contact Kutchchha schools. The following is further information.

Mangvana A. School [Of Paru - which also you have visited and have inquired about] is also collapsed. No casualties, as all were out on the ground for flag saluting ceremony.
It all happened in front of the kids and the teachers. The school has to be closed. But how and where to send the students, was a terrible problem for the teachers. [Same in Rajansar] Most pathetic aspect of the calamity was that, a few parents also were dead in the earthquake in their villages. That was difficult to comprehend and identify. [A rich town close to Rajansar - Lakadia- is 80 percent demolished.] We never thought of this side of the problem. How did teachers resolve this problem and manage to transport so many young students? [6-13 age group] We will know only later on, the horrible stories. How did the kids feel, behave and understand ~ who within no time became orphans? These are just questions for which I simply have no answers today. Only yesterday has it has been declared by the government that it will take full responsibility of all the kids who have lost their parents. Koki told Jani this morning that why not a special school be started, exclusively for the orphan kids?

Jani will reach perhaps K. tonight, if the military [22000 in strength at present and increasing] gives permission. We have just heard on the radio that looking to the gravity of the situation military has cordoned off the area. The immediate danger is that of epidemic. We are awaiting more and authentic reports. Many have left without waiting for any information ~ just rushed. There is an urgent message from Total Revolution group, from way, before reaching the site, that the immediate problem is that of disposal of the dead bodies ~ many of whom are scattered here and there, unidentified and unattended. They smell terrible, obviously. Removing the dead, still under debries [One unconfirmed report is that they are more than one lakh] and reaching villages in the interior, where no services have yet reached is a sensitive issue. Otherwise also, there is severe draught in K. and acute drinking water problem. There is no water for the volunteers who have gone and are going. So a parallel arrangement of transporting water [jus for drinking] has also to be planned in advance.

Bhuj is very much in the news. Yes, that capital of K. is vanished more than half [Po.:150 000]. A few big towns also have disappeared 50 -60 -70 - 80 %. But the fate of remote villages is not yet known. Those who are alive there, could die of hunger, thirst and shock. Now there is a big noise about it and the services are just starting, after about 5 days. It is difficult even for the govt. to cope up with the situation. Of course, many volunteers from all over the world have rushed and are still rushing. Doctors from many foreign countries also have arrived and are on at the sensitive points and jobs. Make shift hospitals have been set up. Money and material pouring from all over the world. But this is still not enough, looking to the magnitude of the calamity.

PROBLEMS - PROBLEMS - PROBLEMS

Yet we do not have the full picture. Will let you know as soon as the Toal starts sending on-the-spot and reliable reports.

Bhikhu