In the wake of the devastation, death and sufferings caused by the recent Aila cyclone in West Bengal and Bangladesh, many of our centres have started primary relief operations among tens of thousands of cyclone victims. A brief report is given below.

In India : West Bengal

1.   Narendrapur centre has distributed 2,10,234 plates of cooked food (khichuri, rice and dalma), 21,080 kg chira, 8005 kg gur (molasses), 322 kg sugar, 51 kg biscuits, 1170 kg milk powder, 1520 kg nutritious food for children, 1,05,000 ORS packets, 10,18,000 halogen tablets, 11,500 kg bleaching powder, 3247 water jerry cans, 3980 tarpaulins and 680 hygiene kits (each kit containing 1 antiseptic bottle, 6 soap-bars, 2 soap-boxes, 1 comb, 1 piece of cloth, 12 safety pins, 1 nylon cord, 1 nail-cutter, 1 bucket, 2 cups, 1 jug, 2 matchboxes and 20 candles) to 17,884 families at 63 villages of Gosaba, Kakdwip, Kultali, Mathurapur–II, Namkhana, Pathar Pratima and Sagar blocks in South 24-Parganas district.  Besides, the centre treated 437 patients.

2.   Belgharia centre has distributed 63,600 kg chira (flattened rice), 6500 kg sugar, 2,95,000 halogen tablets, 1250 kg bleaching powder and 600 kg lime to 7405 families at 11 villages of Gosaba block, South 24-Parganas district.

3.   Manasadwip centre has distributed 10,460 kg chira, 1385 kg sugar, 25 kg milk powder, 160 kg biscuits, 9260 ORS packets, 1,00,000 halogen tablets and 144 bales of used garments to 4271 families at 22 villages of Sagar, Pathar Pratima and Namkhana blocks in South 24‑Parganas district.

4.   Rahara centre has distributed 12,300 kg chira, 2150 kg sugar, 206 kg milk powder, 621 kg biscuits, 30 kg gur, 50 kg muri (puffed rice), 11,644 litre mineral water, 6,00,000 halogen tablets, 600 candles, 2000 matchboxes, 40 saris, 30 dhotis, 30 bales of used garments and 750 kg bleaching powder to 7631 families at 31 villages of Hingalganj, Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II blocks in North 24-Parganas district.  Besides, the centre treated 2625 cyclone-affected patients.

5.   Sikra Kulingram centre has distributed 1,48,835 plates of khichuri (cooked food), 4783 kg chira, 1655 kg gur, 5200 kg rice, 1950 kg dal, 100 kg soya-bean, 30 kg chhatu, 260 kg milk powder, 2878 kg biscuits, 750 kg muri, 64 kg other snack items, 21 kg nutritious food powder, 9730 litre mineral water, 8,00,000 halogen tablets, 1125 kg bleaching powder, 22 litre Zeoline, 2253 candles, 2120 matchboxes, 992 soap-bars, 100 litre phenyl, 3785 saris, 2142 dhotis, 1150 lungis, 250 vests, 445 assorted garments, 350 bales of old clothes, 100 towels, 100 mosquito-nets, etc to 17,207 families at 65 villages of Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II blocks in North 24‑Parganas district.  Besides, the centre treated 6881 patients in the above areas.

6.   Swamiji’s Ancestral House has distributed 560 kg chira, 70 kg gur, 280 kg rice, 56 kg dal, 70 kg biscuits, 25,000 halogen tablets and a large number of old clothes to 2800 victims at 7 villages of Sandeshkhali-I block in North 24-Parganas district.

7.   Taki centre has distributed 24,000 kg chira, 3618 kg gur, 165 kg biscuits, 50 kg milk powder and 47,000 halogen tablets to 11,082 families at 27 villages of Hasnabad, Hingalganj and Sandeshkhal-II blocks in North 24‑Parganas district.

8.   Saradapitha centre has distributed 20,000 kg rice, 4500 saris, 4568 lungis and 700 tarpaulins to 5903 families at 17 villages of Hingalganj and Sandeshkhali-I blocks in North 24-Parganas district.  Besides, the centre treated 6288 cyclone-affected patients at 33 villages of Gosaba, Hingalganj, Minakhan and Sandeshkhali blocks in North and South 24-Parganas districts.

9.   Sargachhi centre has distributed 82,164 plates of cooked food (rice and dalma), 914 kg chira, 516 kg gur, 13,510 kg rice, 113 kg muri, 1198 kg biscuits, 2364 kg baby food, 10,320 litre mineral water, 2,00,000 halogen tablets, 1000 kg bleaching powder, 7000 kg lime, 160 candles, 38 litre Zeoline, 250 bales of old garments and 3 bags of utensils to 4373 families at 22 villages of Hingalganj block in North 24-Parganas district.

10. Bankura centre supplied bamboos and roof tiles to 15 families at Ashram Para locality of Bankura for reconstruction of their huts.

11. Baranagar Mission has distributed 155 bales of used clothes to thousands of victims at 18 villages of Sandeshkhali-II and Hingalganj blocks, North 24-Parganas district.

 

In Bangladesh

12. Dhaka centre has distributed 15,220 kg rice, 6000 kg dal, 7998 oral saline packets, 1010 saris and 4229 sets of utensils (each set containing a bucket, a plate, a cooking pot and a water-storing pot) to 7263 cyclone-affected families of 79 villages in Khulna and Satkhira districts.

 

B. Sri Lanka Refugee Relief :

13.  Colombo centre has distributed 1900 kg nutritious supplementary food, 3037 kg milk powder, 1606 kg biscuits, 450 kg soya nuggets, 300 kg glucose, 3742 tubes of toothpaste, 2854 toothbrushes, 7484 soap-bars, 2000 towels, 1000 pairs of slippers and 1025 sets of clothes to 1331 families who had taken shelter at the Kodikamam refugee camp in Jaffna and Vavunia-Cheddykulam refugee camp.

Relief work is continuing. Further reports are awaited.