JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee has accused the State Government of confining relief and rehabilitation activities to only two-three flood-affected villages of Barmer where the media glare has been the maximum. At least 15 villages or dhanis (hamlets) in far-flung areas of the sandy desert have faced severe damages in the flash floods in the fourth week of August but no relief reached them so far, it has pointed out.

"All the focus is on Kavas and Malva where most of the deaths have taken place. However, we could see `dhanis' such as Nand in Sheo tehsil where nobody from the administration had reached even two weeks after the disaster," said K.C.Choudhary, PCC treasurer, on his return from Barmer. He listed Guga, Balasar, Mandaliya, Lakha, Kane, Samer, Antra, Negarda, Advacha, Harva, Rajdhal, Variyada, Nagarda and Ankali as some of the seriously affected hamlets where no relief has reached so far.

"Some 50 villages and 200 dhanis in three tehsils -- Sheo, Barmer and Bayatu -- are affected. The villagers in these areas may have escaped death but their condition at places is worse than death," Dr.Choudhary said. "The immediate crisis is of drinking water, food and shelter. The `tankhas', traditional rain water harvesting structures of Barmer have been polluted by the flood waters."

"Things are not under control yet. There is a stretch of 25-30 feet deep water in an area of 40-45 km in Kavas. In Malva it is 35 feet deep water in a radius of 10 km," former Minister Rajendra Choudhary pointed out.

The first batch of PCC representatives led by vice-president Hari Singh -- who just handed over the responsibility of monitoring the Congress party's relief operations in the area to another group led by former State Deputy Chief Minister Kamla -- is of the view that the area has a lot of relief material and more is still pouring in.

It is being pointed out that what is lacking is proper coordination in the distribution of relief and initiatives towards rehabilitation of the people. The affected persons still continue to live in temporary sheds erected on the sand dunes where desert insects and reptiles, besides mosquitoes bred in the newfound water, rule the roost.

"There is no dearth of relief material. There are some 400 trucks already standing there all lined up and no place to even unload the items," Dr.Choudhary pointed out. The PCC, which sent 30 trucks with relief material, had faced a similar problem.

"Where to unload the things, whom to give it? Who are needy and what item? These are some of the problems yet to be sorted out," he said pointing out that the NGOs are doing a good job in the area.

"More than relief, what is needed now are items for rehabilitation such as roofing material, tents, water tanks and some system to make them reach the real needy," said Khanu Khan, president of the PCC Minorities Department.

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