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CNN Sunday Morning

Volunteers Provide Relief Flood Victims in Eastern India

Aired July 22, 2001 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: And our top story this half hour, rain has started falling once again in Eastern India. There has been widespread flooding there that has already killed dozens of people and left hundreds of thousands marooned in Orissa state. As CNN's Satinder Bindra reports, an army of volunteers is trying to provide some relief.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the city of Bhubaneswar (ph) sleeps, an army of volunteers is just beginning its shift. All these people are here in the middle of the night on a giant cookout, preparing hot food for hundreds of thousands of their people still cut off by flood waters.

Luxmira (ph) cooks for nine hours. She doesn't get paid, but has the satisfaction of helping out.

LUXMIRA, VOLUNTEER (through translator): There is so much of an effort here, because these are our people. So many people have drowned and are marooned. If we don't help them, who will?

BINDRA: Two years ago, when 10,000 people were killed here in a severe cyclone, thousands of survivors complained of a shortage of food. This time, volunteers say they want to do everything possible to help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): During the cyclone, we were all distressed, like everybody else. But here today, at least we are in better shape to help those who are really in trouble.

BINDRA: Every day, this kitchen prepares 12,000 packets of water and 21,000 hot meals of rice. Cooks here add extra oil and sugar so the food is better preserved.

BINDRA (on camera): Once the food is packed in small plastic bags, it is brought to the airport where it is loaded onto six Indian Air Force helicopters. The Indian government too is providing water, medicine, and sacks of rice. So far, the Indian Air Force says it has already air-dropped more than 160 tons of food to an estimated 500,000 marooned people.

BINDRA (voice-over): Some volunteers are also taking time off work to carry food and medicines on their own backs to marooned villagers. It's dangerous work. Snake bites have already killed more than five people. But volunteer Chandra Solahi Beheres (ph) says the risk is worth it.

CHANDRA SOLAHI BEHERES, VOLUNTEER (through translator): People here really appreciate our arrival. They have told us they were touched. We were sharing their sorrow.

BINDRA: The sorrow here is likely to continue because it may be weeks before this water dries out. The only consolation for those who have lost their homes, their patty fields and their loved ones is the people of Orissa understand and share their grief.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, Bhubaneswar (ph), Eastern India.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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