As India experiences incessant heavy rains during monsoon season, hundreds of thousands of people have been left marooned in the eastern states of West Bengal and Orissa.

In response to this international aid and development agency World Vision continues to operate and implement relief programs across the region and several Indian states still submerged by floodwaters. In the State of Orissa alone, 600,000 people have been severely affected.

World Vision India is part of an Inter Agency Group of Orissa State. This week an emergency meeting of NGOs working in the State was held to assess and produce an overview of the situation in Orissa. The Inter Agency Group will meet daily to provide situation updates to all NGOs working in the region.

"World Vision India sent a two-member team to conduct key ground assessments, though the affected communities are situated far from our Area Development Programme," said Mr Franklin Joseph Director, Emergency Response & Disaster Mitigation.

In Balasore, one of the worst affected districts, many homes have been flooded, leaving many villagers homeless.

Orissa Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik who conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas, reviewed the situation and announced a slew of relief measures.

At least six districts in West Bengal remain cut off from the rest of the country after surging rivers broke through mud embankments and swamped hundreds of villages.

700,000 people in the West Bengal state have also been affected, with thousands being evacuated to safer places, officials said. East and West Midnapore districts were the worst hit, as the flood situation remains grim in the state with several rivers continuing to flow above the danger mark.

"Most of the flooding is sporadic and localised. The most affected areas are far from our Area Development Programme areas, however World Vision will continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly. At this moment West Bengal, Orissa and the Rajasthan Government has taken initial steps to respond and evacuate people in these areas. In Rajasthan a 118-year-old dam has developed some cracks, and 50 villages have been evacuated," said Mr. Joseph.

In another part of India World Vision has been distributing much needed relief packages to 215 families affected by floods in the southern state of Karnataka.

The Bijapur Area Development Program in Karnataka distributed 10-day relief packages consisting of 25 kilograms of rice, 3 kilograms of pulses, 2 litres of vegetable oil, cooking utensils and clothes to families including 52 children.

World Vision is also working closely with the government as medical camps are established to ensure children and families are protected. "All children in the community are safe and we are monitoring their health and needs closely, " said Dr Godfred Victor Singh, Bijapur ADP Manager.

He continues, "In the next two to three days we will provide housing material to 60 families who lost their houses during the floods. We are also planning to buy livestock for families so they can generate income. The government is providing housing material and other local NGOs have offered to provide food to the communities. After 10 days World Vision will review the situation and respond accordingly.

"Food items were soaked by water, therefore are unfit for consumption. Safe drinking water is a problem. We also do not have power connection in these areas.

"World Vision is providing two water tanks per day of clean safe drinking water for the community. Fogging (spraying of insecticide to prevent mosquito breeding) has been done by the government in affected communities. For one village, that was badly affected, the government is planning to move them to a new location and is currently building temporary shelter," said Mr Singh.

In some areas the water has now receded and people are able to return to their homes. However more then 160 houses are unfit to live in as they are severely water damaged. World Vision India in collaboration with the government had previously built three schoolrooms that have now been converted into relief shelters.

The ongoing floods caused by incessant rainfall in mid-June claimed 57 lives and forced another 100,000 from their homes in south and southwest India.

Three days of heavy rain and flash floods brought misery to the life of millions more in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharasthra.

For more information please contact:

Jayanth Vincent, Director Communication and Media - +91 984064165 Franklin Joseph,Director ERDM - + 91 98407 83999

To arrange media interviews:

Ms Reena Samuel, Communication Coordinator - + 91 9820641924 Mr Kunal Shah, Associate Director, Project Monitoring office (monitoring projects in Gujarat and Maharashtra states) - + 91 986737666.