Tsunami update - Day 13 - Jan 7, 2005

[Guest guest]

From S. Chinny Krishna, Chairman, Blue Cross of India

regarding work of Blue Cross and

Karuna Society for Animals and Nature, Puttaparthi, AP

 

Report as on January 7, 2005 - 1300 hrs

 

Most of the input for this update of our efforts in Cuddalore

and Nagapattinam is from reports received from Clementien

Pauws, President, Karuna. She has been in that area from

Sunday, Jan 2nd.

 

The situation is much grimmer than first thought. Healthy

animals (cows, goats, ponies and dogs) are getting unwell

due to lack of good water - many were living on salty water

since all water sources were inundated by the sea. The cattle

have been living on rotting food and many have ingested

substantial amounts of plastic material which means that

a larger problem is looming ahead.

 

For dogs, especially nearer the larger areas, where media

presence is substantial and, therefore, most relief efforts tend

to be concentrated, there is so much wasted food that the

dogs are getting their needs.

 

In Cuddalore District, thanks to a most efficient District

Collector, things are under some sort of control. The

animal husbandary department (AHD) is giving fodder to

the rescued cattle and goats which have been taken in

by their owners. For those cattle not claimed by any one,

there is no food or water except what is being given by

rescue groups.

 

In Nagapattinam District, the situation is nightmarish.

All NGOs were called for a meeting in the Collector's

Office on Wednesday Jan 5. Mrs. Clementien Pauws of

Karuna, Mr. Hari Prasad, President of the Puttaparthi

SPCA and some of the Blue Cross supervisors attended.

The first thing was that the " animal welfare groups " were

told that all dogs in that area must be killed since there

had been a report that a dog had been seen eating a

corpse. Clementien came out of the meeting and told me

about it and asked me what to do. I told her to tell the

authorities that it was illegal to kill the dogs and that, if

there were bodies on the beaches after 10 days, it

reflected very poorly on the administration. She feared

that if we refused, we would not be permitted by the

Collector and the Police to work. All I could do was to

go back and tell them what I had said and that I would

talk to someone higher up. I was unable to get through

to Mr. R. Santanam, IAS, Relief Commissioner. I then

contacted Dr. R. Balasubramanian, AWBI Secretary,

who said he would talk to the Collector.

 

On Thursday, Jan 6, there were reports that the Collector

had ordered the killing of the dogs. Our volunteer,

Mrs. Radha Rajan, contacted Mr. Govind, Director

General of Police who promised to talk to the Collector.

Reports last received seemed to indicate that no dogs

were being killed. Clementien confirmed that no locals

had asked that any dogs be killed.

 

No fodder was made available from the AHD yesterday.

With great difficulty, our two ambulances were filled

with green grass purchased by us and some animals

were fed. The large number of relief vehicles on the road

made movement extremely difficult. The 70 kilometer

drive from Nagapattinam to Cuddalore took over 5 hours.

The truck sent by the Blue Cross with cattle feed

concentrate only reached Cuddalore at about six p.m.

and promptly broke down. Fortunately, we were able to

hire another lorry and take the material to Nagapattinam

where it was unloaded at midnight in the Government

Veterinary Hospital godown.

 

We are thankful to Mr. Gowrishankar, AGM of Indian

Bank at HQ Chennai, who heard of our work at

Cuddalore-Nagapattinam and contacted me

and asked what help we required. He spoke to his

Nagapattinam Manager and they have made available

a fully walled in compound behind their bank office in

Nagapattinam where we can safely park all our vehicles

at night and store supplies.

 

Mr. Daniel, Shelter Supervisor at our Guindy centre,

has also gone down to Nagapattinam with money and

two mobile phones so that our teams can keep in

touch with each other. Mr. S. Raghavan, an Honorary

Animal Welfare Officer of the AWBI and our long time

volunteer, has taken three weeks off from everything

and has gone down to Nagapattinam today to

co-ordinate the cattle camps which have to be set up

most urgently. We are also taking a farm house on

rent for a few weeks to set up our site office and

a place to keep the many ponies affected.

 

Yesterday, I received a phone call from a Swiss radio

station asking about the reports that dogs were

feasting on human bodies and whether that will result

in them becoming man-eaters. I told them that

there was a report about one such case and that if

human bodies were on the beach 10 days after the

incident, it pointed out the inefficiency of the local

administration.

 

At 1030 this morning, Clementien called to say that

there was a meeting being called by the Collector

and the AHD regarding setting up of temporary

camps for the cattle and whether we could

co-ordinate the entire work. I told her that we were

stretched to the limit as it was and not to accept

any responsibility that we could not fulfil properly.

She said that there was nobody else to do it.

We finally agreed to tell the AHD that we would

do so provided all facitities were extended

including making available fodder - grass and

hay - and water. We would take care of the

medical treatment and medicines. Hopefully,

Raghavan will be able to handle this in view of his

vast experience of 20 years in cattle rescue with

Govardhan and the Blue Cross.

 

Last night, Dr. Abdul Rahman of the Commonwealth

Veterinary Association called to say that he is visiting

Chennai today (Friday) to meet with me and

finalise arrangements to work together. Hopefully,

we will be able to get a few livestock inspectors

and Vets (all Tamil speaking) who can work for

the next month or two so that we can expand our

area of operations.

 

An update will be sent late tonight or early tomorrow

regarding the meeting with Dr. Abdul Rahman and

the results of Clementien's meeting with the

Collector/AHD.

 

S. Chinny Krishna

Blue Cross of India

 

=======================================

 

Dr. S. Chinny Krishna

MTech,MS, PhD, FIE, FIIChE

Managing Director

 

Aspick Engineering P. Ltd.

D 5 Industrial Estate

Guindy, Chennai 600 032, India

 

Phone: +91 44 2234 1399 / 3839 / 8849 / 1878

Direct: +91 44 2233 1091

Fax: +91 44 2234 9801 / 2232 5219

 

www.aspick.com