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            With these few words, I conclude.

PROF. M. RAMADASS (PONDICHERRY):  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Sir, for the opportunity given to speak on this very important issue that this House has taken up.

            As many hon. Members have already said  the flood situation in the country is very grim, and about 20 States have been affected.  Among these States, the worst affected States are Bihar, UP, West Bengal, Orissa, Maharasahtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. The United Nations has described the flood situation in India as the worst in the living memory. So far, 1,500 lives have been lost; 69,842 livestock dead and about 330.99 lakh people have been affected; 6.4 lakh houses have been damaged; and the estimated monetary loss is about Rs. 1,466.58 crore.          

MR. CHAIRMAN : You have a very limited time.

PROF. M. RAMADASS : Yes, Sir. I will take only two minutes.

            India claims to have the third largest reservoir of technical and scientific manpower but still we have not been able to address this issue of forewarning and forecasting the flood situation. If something substantial can be done in this area by pooling our scientific talents and minds, we would be able to prevent this kind of a disaster that has been coming in the various ways. Now, we think that money is important to provide relief but more important than the money is the institutions that we will have to develop at all levels so that the money that is spent doing the relief operations reaches or percolates the really deserving people during the flood.