Agencies warn of looming health crisis

While Chennai is reeling from the impact of the floods, there is a looming health and hygiene crisis, according to experts.

At a meeting held in Chennai initiated by SPHERE India and hosted by World Vision India, various agencies expressed concern over the healthcare and sanitation problems that many of the relief camps face, even as thousands continue to live in camps that were opened by the state government across the city.

The meeting was convened for agencies to take stock of the situation, and coordinate their relief efforts in order to complement the government's efforts in reaching out to those most vulnerable. Representatives from various agencies including SEED, Save the Children, CRS, CASA, CARE India, and UN India participated in the meeting.

Public spaces, including railway stations and government school buildings, and private spaces like malls, movie theatres, educational institutions and function halls, have doubled up as relief camps. The exact number of these centres is not known, since many private locations also house many of those affected, apart from 24 official relief camps in Chennai district.

In the city, the most affected areas are along the banks of the two major rivers - the Adyar (covering approximately 748 sq km) and the Cooum (covering approximately 1,266 sq km).

Though the city has been received relatively lighter showers on Saturday, water levels have been rising in some areas, as result of water being released periodically from the Chembarambakkam dam. Apart from Chennai, the flood has also severely affected people in the districts of Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Tuticorin, Villupuram and the Puducherry.

"Hundreds of families are crammed together in small spaces in these camps. As water recedes, there is a high possibility of an outbreak of water-borne diseases and skin infections in the next two weeks. Availability of clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities are critical," said Anita Victor from World Vision India.

J Radhakrishnan, health secretary of the Tamil Nadu government on Friday said that in Chennai alone 200 camps have been set up. "We have given 201 doctors from government medical colleges, 23,142 medical camps have been conducted overall." He said as far as prevention of communicable disease was considered they were ensuring that an epidemic doesn't break out.

However, Radhakrishnan said there had been many complaints of skin-related problems. "We are advocating double chlorination." He added that they were ensuring that drinking water was also chlorinated.