Bellary Diocese

BELLARY, OCT. 22: Medical teams led by Sisters of St. Ann of Luzern, Assisi Sisters and Jesus Youth provided extensive medical care for flood affected people of Raichur and Bellary districts. Teams led by Sr. Sumitha of Sisters of St. Ann of Luzern, Sr. Sarto of Assisi Sisters and Mr. Roshan Mathew of Jesus Youth moved to many flood affected villages of Siriguppa, Manvi, Raichur and Devdurga talukas. Some of the villages served by the teams are: Talmari, Chickmanchal, Mallapur, Athur and Shaktinagar in Raichur rural district; villages in the neighborhood of Manvi town, and Hacholli in Siruguppa. Some of the worst affected were children, the aged and women. “Many of the sick included those infected by drinking polluted water”, said Roshan Mathew. In all 17 camps were organized in the diocese for flood affected people. “Villagers were happy to be treated by Catholic nuns and they related to us without any reservation”, said Jesus Youth leader Roshan Mathew from Mangalore. Due to the incessant rains and unprecedented flood of early October, 72 lives were lost, over 1,200 villages affected and more than 120,000 houses destroyed. The diocesan development society BDDS together with Caritas India provided relief material worth about Rs. 4 million to 3,500 families. The relief work has been coordinated by the Flood Relief Forum consisting of most of the mainstream NGOs of Bellary.