Vizag and VSPCA flooded!

[Guest guest]

Monday evening India time. The shelter is getting local help and advice

tomorrow and news people (UNI) will be visiting. A few people are coming up

from Chennai animal shelters to help as well. Hopefully tomorrow electricity

will be back and Pradeep can email full details and send photos. If not, I can

phone again or if anyone else is going to phone please let me know the report.

Read below for previous reports but to add the most current per my conversation

the animals appear to be surviving but many are sick. Getting dry food is be a

problem. All the plants and trees are washed out along with 50,000 earthworms

and the vermicompost and biogas plant. Lab equipment was moved to higher ground

and is safe. Pradeep is paying high wages to get people to come and help. The

new goshala has survived but only houses 130 animals.

 

Visakha does have a cyclone shelter but nothing for the animals. If VSPCA can

build a new and special kind of wall the shelter can be drained and rebuilt and

can protect many other animals in future storms. If this new system can be

done, maybe VSPCA can be a model for all animal shelters to protect from

cataclysmic storms. Meanwhile, basic rescue measures are falling into place and

emergency funds are needed.

 

The skies in Visakhapatnam are ominously heavy with rain clouds but hopefully

will abate soon. thanks,

 

Weintraub, Seattle, WA; U.S. Representative

Visakha SPCA, India www.VisakhaSPCA.org

 

Original Message -----

Philip Wollen

wckt

Monday, September 19, 2005 2:08 AM

Vizag update

 

 

Just got though to Pradeep. Situation at VSPCA is grim. Now about 6/8 feet of

water across the shelter. The front wall of 200 feet is almost entirely gone.

All feed is lost. Puppy shelter lost. Many of the buildings severely damaged or

lost. None of the workers came in today. Sea water has now crossed the sea wall.

Feed storage areas are gone. No feed available. Biogas plant almost certainly

lost. Animals stranded. One driver seriously ill. Only one driver on duty. Not

sure is any vehicles available. Forgot to ask. Trees fallen over. Traffic jams

across Visag. Electricity is out. Pradeep needs volunteer workers - offered Rs

300 - 400 per day - but no takers. Don't know if the partially completed

goshalla is OK. Probably not. Question whether tethered animals could be

released to get to higher ground. ABC animals should be released from pens -

perhaps they can survive in the interim?

 

Phil

--

 

Philip Wollen

 

 

 

The Winsome Constance Kindness Trust

 

Australia

 

Venture Capital for Good Causes

 

http://www.thewinsomeconstancekindnesstrust.com/

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

Suparna Ganguly

Monday, September 19, 2005 2:00 AM

VIZAG

 

 

Just spoke to Pradeep. The whole town is flooded.......sounds like New

Orleans.......Pradeep needs help to shift animals out of the shelter. Airport is

not functioning but roads may be open.Railways are probably going halfway.

He was trying to get into town , since it is not possible to communicate from

the shelter.

He feels that the rain may lessen in 48hours but it will take time for the

flooding to recede.

He said he needs volunteers to help with the animals.

I can't think of anything right now.....he has nowhere to shift the animals to,

but they can't stay where they are.

Suparna