"Early in the morning we set off from the relief camp, and go to our badly-damaged house to repair and clean it. The slush on the floor is knee-high and it stinks. If I put my foot into it, I will not be able to take it out. I do the cleaning barefoot and keep stepping on shards of glass and other sharp objects in the slush, injuring myself. We have no choice but to clean up during the day, and return to the relief camp by evening. We use the water from the Adyar river for cleaning," says Anandita, who studies in Class 12.
She has been living with her family in a relief camp in Chennai's Saidapet after her home was flooded after the city was hit by heavy rain.
With the rains having lessened and the flood waters receding, the spotlight is on the city's relief camps where the many people who had to flee their homes are now. The camps, severely overcrowded and cramped, are the recipe for a health disaster. Add to that the dangers that lurk in the homes that families like Anandita's return to every day to clean without any protective gear like gloves or gum boots.
Struggling in the contaminated slush, fathers, mothers and children try to make their houses habitable again; many don't have bleaching powder, brooms or even clean water.
Apart from the 24 official relief camps, Chennai also has numerous private spaces where refugees have taken shelter. From shopping malls and theatres to banquet halls and homes, there are temporary relief shelters across many of the areas that were flooded.
These now are surrounded by pools of stagnating water and with not enough toilets, people at the relief camps are susceptible to epidemics and skin infections. "Waste management in these camps is also very poor, as there are no garbage bins or places to segregate waste. The camps also host pregnant women and infants below two years, who are in the high risk category when it comes to contracting infections," says Dr Anita Victor, working with the NGO World Vision India.
While many of the camps in the city have food in excess, there is a lack of hygiene kits and sanitary products. "We do not want food, biscuits or drinking water," says 40-year-old Mali, who has been living in one of the camps. "What we want is medicines, soaps, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and ointments for skin rashes," she says.
The lack of functional toilets is a big worry. Many camps have no access to electricity and clean water. In four relief camps near Thedeernagar in Saidapet, many people defecate next to the railway tracks, with a nearby public toilet locked up. "We wake up at 4 am and walk a long way, in search of a secluded place to relieve ourselves. Because it is also unsafe for girls at that time of the day, we go in groups of at least five members," says Mohaneswari, a Class X student who lives in one of the camps near St Thomas Mount, Chennai.
Children defecate in the open within the camp premises and walk barefoot in the same area as well, drastically increasing the possibility of contracting infections and diseases.
Access to medical care is vital also a grave problem. In a relief camp that houses around 400 families at the Chintadripet Railway Station, there was one doctor available for consultation. However, many other camps did not even have one. With multiple risk factors in a post-flood situation like Chennai's, it is imperative that healthcare professionals be stationed in each of the relief camps.
The onset of another tragedy in the form of an epidemic needs to be avoided at any cost, and preventive measures need to be taken on a war footing. Better relief camp management and the circulation of health advisories within the camps are a must and so is coordination of relief agencies with the state government, considering the sheer scale of the task at hand.
Sanitation facilities and an effective solid waste management plan is of critical priority, as is also ensuring the safety of the garbage clearance staff by providing adequate safety gear and laying down hygiene guidelines. The city, that has displayed so much resilience in the face of a sweeping disaster, simply cannot afford to lose lives due to oversight and negligence.
(Bestin Samuel currently works as a writer and emergency communicator with World Vision India, a Chennai-based NGO that works for children. He works closely with the emergency relief, advocacy and technical solutions teams to bring to light stories and issues regarding relief and development.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.