Gurdaspur braces up to deal with aftermath of floods

Water is the elixir of life and is essential for the survival of human beings. However, as the recent floods have proved, water can prove to be a highly destructive force too.

The recent inundations and downpours have resulted in innumerable deaths, with Gurdaspur being the worst-affected district in the state in terms of fatalities of humans and livestock and the total number of people affected.

Such events increase the chances of spreading waterborne diseases, such as Hepatitis A and cholera. Receding floods can create stagnant pools of water which, in turn, provide a perfect breeding-ground for leeches. These leeches transmit malaria and dengue.

Civil Surgeon Dr Jaswinder Singh said Gurdaspur district was ready to face any sort of eventuality. “We have set up a permanent medical camp in the cluster of seven villages across the Ravi river and located adjacent to the International Border (IB) with Pakistan. Our staff has also completed fogging and spraying in these villages.” This development assumes significance as this cluster of villages is considered to be the most backward area in this district. Seldom in the past have medical teams been stationed there. In the recent floods, the cluster suffered extensive damage with hundreds of cattle heads, the main source of income for these villagers, disappearing.

The Civil Surgeon said four ambulances, stocked with medicines, had been requisitioned from the IMA, Jalandhar, and an equal number from the IMA, Gurdaspur.

Doctors say floods can lead to an increase of some forms of zoonotic disease, which are an infectious disease transmitted naturally from animals to humans.

Dr Prabhjot Kalsi, Assistant Civil Surgeon, Gurdaspur, said 20 new medical teams of MBBS doctors have been stationed at strategic places. These are those particular places where floods were at their severest.

“This district has 16 hospitals, including the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital, Batala Sub-Divisional Hospital and 14 Community Health Centres (CHCs). All of them are fully stocked with medicines. We have formed 83 teams of doctors which have already fanned out in the villages encircled by water. The timings of the Aam Aadmi Clinics have been extended till 5 pm. This has been done to make sure nobody goes back without being treated,” she said.

In Gurdaspur, flooding has forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes and relocate to relief camps. Many have been given shelter in these camps. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dalwinderjit Singh has been personally supervising the operations of these camps. He has strictly asked the health authorities not to be lax “as the real problems start after the water starts receding”.”

Like in the 1988 floods, the trauma of losing loved ones, homes and livelihoods takes a severe toll on the mental health and emotional well-being of the affected population.

Schools and colleges have been closed for a prolonged period of time, consequently disrupting the education of students.

Doctors are of the opinion that waterborne diseases are sure to disrupt essential services and cause significant harm once the water level starts going down.

“The overall impact is often severe economic hardship and psychological distress for affected populations,” said a medical officer.

An agricultural officer, who saw the destruction caused during the 1988 floods, said, wildlife habitats can be destroyed by floodwater. “This means the ecological balance at the Keshopur wetland will be badly affected. Contaminated flood water will also pollute rivers and habitats while silt, sludge and sediment may potentially destroy crops. Plants that survive the initial flood may die after being inundated with water for an extended period of time. Farmers, who are already under debt, tend to develop suicidal tendencies as their possessions have been washed away,” he said.

He said the biggest negative factor was that the crops are destroyed. “Agricultural land becomes infertile due to saturation and erosion,” he added.

Doctors opine floodwaters can carry pollutants like pesticides, sewage and oil, contaminating freshwater sources and harming aquatic life.

All in all, after facing the fury of the angry Ravi river, which led to the floods, Gurdaspur is now all set to deal with the deluge’s aftermath which, experts say, is bound to be more dangerous than the floods itself.