Budwarpet
Day 2 started with frenzied activity as the medical team from AIMS Cochin and the small group of dedicated devotees from the Hyderabad centre of the Math led by Br. Raghunath who manages the Math’s Hyderabad Centre, started sorting the large quantity of medicines that had come from AIMS and also those sponsored by the local devotees, into groups for easy distribution. The scores of sacks of rice were made into smaller packets to be distributed at different flood affected villages. The team with nearly 30 members started for the place where a small canopy (shamiana) had been erected to facilitate the treatment. In the beginning the patients started trickling in (as many were busy collecting some financial assistance being provided by the government in the nearby school). But soon the number of patients swelled and the doctors became very busy treating them. The flood victims had varied medical problems but one thing that was seen in larger numbers were the foot injuries. Many of them, especially women and children had various types of cuts, wounds and bruises on their feet. The reason for this being that the flood waters had remained in the villages and fields for several days and the floodwaters had carried/brought with it all sorts of sharp objects include glass pieces, steel, nails, etc. Many of the villagers did not have footwear and became succeptible to cuts and bruises on their feet. The women and children looked emancipated from the trauma folllowing the floods. They were running here and there to collect relief material for themselves and their families. The floods had washed away whatever little possessions they had including their year’s stock of food grains. Many were farmers or farm labourers and normally got paid partly in cash and partly with a part of the produce. This produce was their granary for the year and took care of their basic food requirement. Once the farming season which normally lasted for 3 or 4 months was over, they would take up working as daily wage labourers at construction sites or in road laying companies or in factories….

The earning from this would help them to meet their other requirements. Many of their children did not attend school as their parents could not afford to send them to the same.

On speaking to some villgers we got to understand that their daily income of the husband and wife together was around Rs 100/- (2$) which was just good enough for them to take care of their basic requirements. Now the flood waters had entered their fields, their houses and even their granary and so people had lost their whole year’s food stock of grains along with all their belongings. They had nothing left with them save the clothing on their backs. In the places which were directly in the path of the floods the villages had been completely destroyed and left thousands hopeless. Most of them were staying either at govt school buildings or at other temporary shelters. Once the relief work has been completed the govt has a massive task before it in rehabilitating the flood victims. The government has already started requesting the NGO’s to participate in this effort.

While talking to some of local people we were given to understand that the flooding had occurred due to the delay in the opening of Barrages near the Srisailam Reservoir. Srisailam is located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Located 210 kms from Hyderbad. The place is also known as Southern Kashi.

Srisailam has its own identity among the twelve Jyotirlingas. The elegant temple, beautiful greenery and picturesque setting attracts millions of devotees every year. Srisailam is located in Kurnool district of Central Andhra Pradesh. The ancient and sacred temple of Srisailam is of great historical and religious significance.

It is situated on the south bank of the river Krishna, in the Nallamalai forest, on a hill. The shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna is situated picturesqely on a flat top of Nallamalai Hills surrounded by tiger infested forests Srisailam is reputed to be one of the most ancient Kshetras in India. The presiding deities of this kshetram Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi is one of the eighteen Maha Sakthi’s and both are Self – manifested. The Goddess who is the consort of Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy is believed to have assumed the form of a bee and worshipped Shiva here. Adi Shankara had visited the temple and sung in praise of Lord Mallikarjuna in his famous hymn Shivananda Lahari and of the Goddess in Bhramarambika Ashtakam. It is indeed a very beautiful and exhilarating experience to worship the Lord and his consort in this temple situated amidst these towering Hills. Word fail to describe this enriching experience.

One of India’s largest tiger reserves, the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Sanctuary is spread over 3568 sq. km across five districts of Andhra Pradesh. On visiting there one will be amazed at the abundance of wildlife in Srisailam. The Srisailam Sanctuary shelters blackbuck, panthers, chinkara, spotted deer, nilgai, pangolins, leopards, soft-shelled turtles, porcupines, crocodiles and a variety of other animals, birds and snakes, in addition to the tiger.

The unprecedented inflows into Srisailam dam across Krishna river in Kurnool district have triggered flash floods in Andhra Pradesh. The inflows, the highest since India’s independence, have not only inundated Kurnool and Mantralayam towns and dozens of villages in Kurnool district but have also caused floods in neighbouring Mahabubnagar district and posed threat to downstream Krishna and Guntur districts. Srisailam dam, which is 790 feet high, is receiving massive inflows of 1.754 million cusecs of water from Jurala project and other projects and upstream following heavy rain in neighbouring Karnataka whereas the outflow was only around 1 million cusecs of water. As a result the waters had reached the danger level and even though all the 12 sluice gates were opened and waters released, it still resulted in the flooding of the above mentioned districts in AP.

After a short lunch break, with food being brought form a nearby mess, as we could not find a place to cook food though we had brought all the provisions with us, the doctors continued their treatment. There were quite a few dental cases also and some extractions which I am sure would have made the dentists happy! Some patients needed pathological tests which were done in the Auto analyzer in the Tele Medicine ambulance and the report given immediately. Around 500 patients had been treated on that day and everyone seemed satisfied that they could serve many needy people. On the doctors advice we arranged to get few hundred pairs of footwear to be distributed to the needy the next day. The latter part of the evening was spent in planning for the next day’s program. We were all exhausted from the crowds, the pollution, the dust and most of all very bad odour from the decaying carcasses, the rotting vegetables, food grains, etc. One satisfying aspect was that there was no serious sickness or diseases amongst the villagers like those we experienced in Bihar.

– Sadasiva Chaitanya