Appeal for help for Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Odisha

BAFOT
Nov 15, 2013
2 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Odisha was established in the year 1963 by the Government of India on an area of 2500 acres of land provided by the State government on lease to rehabilitate about 3000 Tibetan refugees. The settlement is basically agrarian one,engaged in raising crops like corn, millet in an acre of 1700. The cultivation activities are rainfed and there are no irrigation facilities. The Tibetan farmers could not cultivate their agricultural field last year on account of some local problems which had adversely impacted their livelihood. This season they were able to sow and the farmers were indeed looking forward to a handsome yield.

On 12th October 2013, the devastating cyclone Phailin with wind gust of 240kmjph that swept across the eastern coast of India and destroyed everything in its way. The effect of the devastating storm was massively severe on the coastal neighborhood of Gopalpur (the epicenter) in Ganjam district of the state. As Phuntsokling Tibetan settlement is located at 80 kms from Gopalpur, the standing crop of corn (75 days old crop) were entirely destroyed by the gust of the storm. Apart from the crops; fruit trees, some dwelling houses, cattle sheds and electricity poles within the settlement were also badly damaged by the storm. Thankfully no lives were lost.

According to the assessment survey conducted at the ground zero by Assistant Agriculture Officer, Mohana, Gajapati District and by Additional Secretary, Department of Home, Central Tibetan administration and Settlement Officer, it has been found that over 90 per cent of the standing crops of 1240 acres have entirely been ravaged.

The devastation perpetrated by the storm has posed a huge hardship to the farmers by plunging them into debt as they have taken loans from commercial banks and cooperative society to meet the cost of agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, labor and so on. The estimated loss caused by the calamity is approximately 20 million Indian rupees (equivalent to us $ 333,333.00).

For further information and donations, please contact us on the following address:

Executive Secretary

Central Tibetan Relief Committee

Dharamsala-176215

Distt. Kangra, H.P India

Tel: +91-1892-222214/222412

Fax: +91-1892-225065

E-mail: agriculture@tibet.net

Website: http://www.tibet.net/www.centraltibetanreliefcommitte.org/

Youtube: Appeal for Odisha Phuntsokling Relief

Bank Account Details:

Central Tibetan Relief Committee