I am not going to write here details of the misery and suffering of the victims but am going to leave that to your imagination by saying this:

It’s just not another flood but: A DELUGE WITH A CALAMITY IN THE MAKING.

Visited a flood affected area of Punjab with Mr.Daljit Singh Gill – OC Batch 1967, Ms.Seema Sondhi a representative of Goonj in Jalandhar, Mr.Rajbir Singh Chauhan and his two teenage children.

There is just one video I would like to share here of an old family braving the water to come and collect some relief material from us, the link is given below.

https://youtu.be/4_nc0zW-xn4

We interacted with many victims and upon asking what help they seek from us we were given the following replies.
1) Thanks to the large hearted Punjabi’s and must appreciate here the organisation Khalsa Aid they are getting regularly relief material in the form of ration, drinking water, medicines etc.

2) The hardships they are facing living out of their houses on the roads with their cattle and a few utensils is nothing compared to the loss of their livelihood. Their entire standing crop has been destroyed as their low lying farms are inundated with water with no escape. They fear they will not be able to sow their fields for the next wheat season. The water is receding form their homes but there is no outlet of the water from their low lying fields. They fear if the water is not pumped out of their fields there is no way they will be able to prepare their fields for the coming wheat season. It is my appeal to you all, many of you who are agriculturists and experts to give ideas for the removal of water from their fields. Even Ex-servicemen can get them help form the army in pumping this water out, equipment and knowhow I am sure is already with the army. This is an ideal project for the OCA to help these desperate farmers back on their own feet by getting their fields ready for the next sowing as well as by providing them with seeds and fertilisers. Friends if this help is not provided in time to them then me and my friends who visited are convinced that some desperate farmers maybe even driven to committing suicide.

3) We were also informed that till now there has been no compensation awarded to these farmers for their loss of their standing crop. There were also no army personnel seen or reported at these places.

4) Another weeping woman spoke to us worried that her 9 year old daughter’s education is suffering as schools are unable to function in these conditions even their books have been destroyed. It was felt that if make shifts schools are opened in dry nearby areas and transportation provided to these children then their education will not have to suffer.

I would like to finish my report with a humble appeal to all OC’s to contribute in any way that they can. We need to do this to fulfil our social responsibility as we all are from the privileged section of this society who are fortunate to have been educated from such a great institution our school BISHOP COTTON SCHOOL.

Mr.Davinder Singh Jaaj – President OCA INDIA with his entire Executive have decided to intervene in this matter and provide help.OCA India has already started a collection drive for funds which is getting a good response from our fellow OC’s as some of them have already submitted their contributions in the OCA INDIA bank account details of which I am giving below here for those who would like to contribute and make this selfless effort a great success.

Account Name: OCA INDIA
Bank: UCO Bank, BCS Shimla
IFS Code: UCBA 0001971
Ac.Number: 1971 0100 001970

Note: All contributions to OCA INDIA for this purpose will be eligible for Income Tax Deduction U/s.80G.

Dhiraj Berry – Batch 1982 (Lefroy)