Controversy over Gujarat death toll

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The vice-president of All India Gujarati Samaj, Praful Joshi says,“There is no co-ordination between the Government and the non-governmental organisations that are working in more areas in larger numbers than the official outfits. This is what is leading to the confusion about the toll and number of injured.”

On his assessment of the dead, he says, “I feel the toll could touch one lakh. The Government seems to be keeping the figures low because it does not want to spread panic in the country.”

There are nine blocks in Kutch district with 949 villages, of which 401 are worst-affected. However, there still seem to be villages where no official medical aid has reached, and therefore, there are no figures of dead or injured.

Secretary-General of the Indian Red Cross Society Dr Vimla Ramalingam says, “There is such a discrepancy in the figures mainly because many villagers have fled the areas, there are many who are still buried under the debris and a number of cremations have been done without a head count.”

Just a few days back, the Red Cross Society had “discovered” a village about 140 km from Bhuj where no rescue or relief team had reportedly reached. “The data from all these villages has to be compiled for a final toll,” she feels.

While confusion seems to be the underlying factor in all rescue activities, the NGOs are usually at the receiving end.

One of the biggest NGO networks working in Gujarat is CARE (Corporate Assistance for Relief Everywhere), operating in all the nine blocks of the Kutch district. CARE spokesman Harry Seth says, “Information about the toll comes from two sources, the Government and non-governmental agencies. The Government agencies get the data from districts, blocks and other outfits.”

“Even at a block or district level, the main source of death figures is the entries made at cremation ground, the assistance being given out by medical centres,” he says.

“However, it should be noted that there are many villages in Kutch where no medical aid has reached till date. So the figures that we are getting now may not be final,” he says.