South African Hindu temple completely destroyed by unprecedented flood
Johannesburg (PTI): A 70-year-old Hindu temple in the sprawling Indian township of Chatsworth, south of the coastal city of Durban in South Africa, was among the scores of buildings left completely destroyed by unprecedented flood waters and mudslides that ravaged the city on Tuesday morning.
At least 45 people were reported dead, hundreds treated at hospitals for injuries and highways and urban streets had scores of cars floating in knee high water after four days of incessant rain.
Meteorologists said the situation could have been much worse, as the bulk of the storm remained off the coasts of Durban.
Horrified devotees looked on from higher vantage points on a nearby bridge as the temple, situated on the banks of the Umhlatuzana River, rapidly broke into pieces and floated down the river.
During earlier heavy rains and flooding four years ago, the temple suffered some damage, but was restored at a cost of half a million rands.
Now it is completely gone, said a sobbing elderly woman identified only as Kamatchee, who said her father was part of the team that built the temple after South African Indians from all over Durban were forcibly resettled in Chatsworth by the apartheid-era separate development policy of racially segregated group areas.
The deities in our Vishnu temple are still there, but in the mother temple everything is gone. We could not remove them because they are solid granite and are fixed to the temple floor, assistant secretary of the temple committee Kureasha Moodley, told the news site IOL.
It is the only temple in the area and I think our devotees have been coming here for over 60 to 70 years. For the past number of years, we have built it up and extended and even added a hall, but after this it will take us a very long time to get back to where we were, Moodley said.
The last time, the mother temple and some parts of the yard were still standing. The water came in through doors and windows, but this time the temple yard is non-existent, she added.
Chaos in Durban continued throughout Tuesday as embattled rescue workers used rubber dinghies to save people trapped on the higher floors or roofs of their homes.
Workers were airlifted from the rooftop of South Africa's largest crude oil refinery after it remained submerged and a worker sent out an SOS via social media.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
