Cyclone/flood VSPCA disaster report - I

[Guest guest]

Below is Pradeep Nath's of the Visakha SPCA account of a cyclone hitting

Visakhapatnam and surrounding areas these past few days. (Visakha is on the Bay

of Bengal which is prone to cyclones same as USA hurricane region). The shelter

flooded due to unprecedented rainfall as the wall protecting it broke, all the

animals are saved but in danger of illness. The surrounding areas are in a state

of disaster and Visakha SPCA must go out once again, like the tsunami to help

all the animals. There is no one else. Other animal shelter workers from far

away are rushing to help. Lots of help is needed:

1. emergency food/medicines and help as all food storage was lost

2. for teams to go out to surrounding areas as Visakha SPCA is the only animal

welfare organization who can do this and

3. for infrastructure rebuildment as many key structures were lost.

 

All 700 animals were saved but they and staff are in danger of illness. Visakha

SPCA will come back better than before with your kind support.

 

Please read below but do not lose heart. Visakha SPCA plans to rebuild with

special fortifications against future floods. They are not giving up, so please

don't give us on up either. Our prayers go out to those who are working to help

other disasters at this time. With infinite gratitude for your support,

Weintraub, Seattle, Washington USA

U.S. Representative; Visakha SPCA, India www.VisakhaSPCA.org

--

Deccan Chronicle photo: 21 Sept. 2005

Road on the way to the shelter destroyed. Same as after the tsunami Pradeep

laments that the beach submarine survived (this submarine interferes with the

yearly Olive Ridley sea turtle nesting which we were just about to send a report

out on).

 

Cattle warned others

The astounding story is on Monday 19th Sept. at 11:30 AM most of the cattle

turned restless in all the sheds trying to accommodate each other, 330 in

number, crowded together to protect from ceaseless rains. Through all the heavy

rain during the past day and a half they were fine but at this hour they began

to cry out in despair. Immediately Sarada and Raj (the shelter managers) threw

the goshala (cow shelter) gates open and all of them ran out. Exactly one half

hour later the west wall gave way and flooding rose to 8 feet. There was

already water stagnating in the shelter up to ankle deep due to the continuous

rains. Amazing insight of the animal's instincts which we noticed during the

tsunami times that cattle can sense natural disasters warning us of danger and

warning us to rescue them as well! This made the shelter personnel to rush in

and pull out all the puppies from the pound and dogs from nearby storage areas

where some take rest. The puppies survived but mostly their pound did not.

 

Our idyllic shelter is now flooded, the dry hay section areas at the NW point.

Water had risen to 9 feet at this stage. Water is now receding.

 

All the water rushing in after the wall breached. With three collapsed huts one

hut is left standing at 11 feet. Due to the heavy water all 50,000 earthworms

(developed from 2000)born in the vermicompost pits have died. Their valuable

work for nature has come to a tragic end. 50,000 earthworms made the quickest

vermicompost of all time, growing plants that helped to feed the animals and

teaching surrounding farmers humane methods to keep their cattle from slaughter.

We would sell some, use some and encourage area farmers to learn the best

organic methods to help animals and nature.

 

More photos to come, thank you all. Sorry they are not close up of the animals

but VSPCA doesn't feel its right to take photos of distressed animals. Special

thanks are due to Mrs. Maneka Gandhi and Phil Wollen for moving the officials to

come out immediately and help us access and hopefully begin the restoration

work.

 

Below report from three officials from Animal Husbandry, Housing Board and Zilla

Parishad along The Executive Engineer and other officials. Submitted to the

District Collector on the spot the day after the floods:

 

-- 320 feet boundary wall collapsed from West to North;

-- seven thatched huts from the cattle section including vermicompost and

vehicle section very badly damaged and unusable out of which four washed

away;

-- Feed room with 30 bags destroyed and other materials for cattle usage;

-- Puppy's pound partially destroyed.

-- The temporary drainage system at the cow shelter system is gone;

-- Three wells destroyed one of them totally broken down.

 

Materials loss:

-- 3 tons of the vermicompost and over 50000 earthworms. We were capable to

making 1 ton per day with just the 48 beds. All 48 beds washed away;

-- 5 and half tons of dry hay washed away;

-- Kitchen and electricity room flooded. The kitchen has been shifted to the

lab room until it is restored.

-- Biogas slurry fully damaged with the meshing thrown away and flooding the

slurry with all sand stones.

-- 125 big plants mostly banana meant as raw materials for vermicompost

washed away and fallen down'

-- the entire stretch along the fallen boundary wall the special plants as

fodder for cattle washed away and badly damaged.

-- many fruit trees extensively damaged.

 

Rain is falling heavily at the shelter area now and we are trying to protect all

the animals before rushing out to help in the surrounding areas. Trains and

flights into our area are still blocked but we will get through the roads with

our vehicles to help four districts.

 

Visakha SPCA

26-15-200 Main Road

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

530001, India

Tel: 91-891-3096217

email: Pradeep Nath, Founder and President vspcadeep

 

 

Donations can be made by paypal on our web site; sent directly to India at above

address or please do a reply to this email for U.S. postal mailing tax

deductible addresses.