|
215 印度奥里萨邦州进行灾后重建工作
India's Orissa State Struggles to Recover from Flooding
Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
22 Jul 2001 12:03 UTC
Heavy flooding in the eastern Indian state of Orissa has left 48 people dead and affected more than six million people. The 1)flood waters are receding, but millions of people are still in need of help.
Heavy 2)monsoon rains in the past week triggered the 3)massive flooding, as the Mahanadi River and its tributaries overflowed their banks and 4)deluged more than 10,000 villages in Orissa, one of India's poorest states.
Authorities say nearly half-a-million people are homeless. Many mud homes have been washed away, and thousands of people are using 5)makeshift plastic 6)shelters on roadsides. Many others are living in partly submerged homes. The vast 7)tracts of water have also covered thousands of hectares of 8)paddy fields.
Army, navy and air force troops are helping civilian authorities in 9)rescue and relief operations. Military helicopters are dropping food packets and water pouches to remote villages, where millions of people are without fresh drinking water or adequate food supplies. With the flood waters 10)receding, government boats are also being used to ferry emergency aid.
Officials say water levels in most rivers have dropped slightly, easing fears of fresh floods and allowing authorities to 11)concentrate on rescue and 12)relief operations. But many villagers say aid has yet to reach them.
Special Relief Commissioner HK Panda has called the floods "a huge crisis" for the state. Senior state officials have appealed for federal help.
Orissa's resident commissioner in Delhi Ujjal Singh Bhatia says at the moment, authorities are concentrating on meeting the basic needs of the flood 13)victims. "It's basically shelter and food, he said. "Food is now being dropped and supplied. We are supplying tents and 14)tarpaulins also. About 2,000-3,000 tents have now been moved from Gujarat and Delhi, and some have been arranged locally."
Relief officials are also 15)gearing up to cope with the outbreak of water borne diseases. The monsoon rains have been unusually heavy this year, and the forecast is for more rain in coming days.
Orissa has been battered by several disasters in recent years. Two years ago, the state was hit by a massive 16)cyclone that killed nearly 10,000 people. This was followed by a drought that adversely affected the state's largely rural economy.
(1) flood[flQd]n.洪水, 水灾vt.淹没, 使泛滥vi.被水淹, 溢出
(2) monsoon[mRn5su:n]n.季候风, (印度等地的)雨季, 季风
(3) massive[5mAsIv]adj.厚重的, 大块的, 魁伟的, 结实的
(4) deluge[5delju:dV]n.洪水, 豪雨v.使泛滥, 淹, 浸, 压倒
(5) makeshift[5meIkFIft]n.将就, 凑合adj.权宜之计的, 凑合的
(6) shelter[5FeltE(r)]n.掩蔽处, 身避处, 掩蔽, 保护v.掩蔽, 躲避
(7) tract[trAkt]n.广阔的地面, 土地, 地方, 地域
(8) paddy[`pAdI]n.稻, 谷
(9) rescue[5reskju:]vt.援救, 营救n.援救, 营救
(10) recede[rI5si:d]v.后退
(11) concentrate on v.集中, 全神贯注于
(12) relief[rI5li:f]n.(痛苦等的)减轻,救济, 调剂, 安慰
(13) victim[5vIktIm]n.受害人, 牺牲者, 牺牲品
(14) tarpaulin[tB:5pC:lIn]n.防水油布
(15) gear up v.使换快档, 促进, 增加
(16) cyclone[5saIklEJn]n.旋风, 飓风, 暴风, 龙卷风
|