Water supply: From Narmada canal and civil supplies.

Banks: State Bank of India, Dena Bank, State Bank of Saurashtra, Kachchh Development Bank, Grameen Bank, Jamin Vikas Bank.

Academic institutions: A women's college, four higher secondary schools, 20 primary schools and 15 balwadis and anganwadis (pre-primary schools). The town also has an Agricultural Research Centre.

Of all the towns in Kutch district, Bhachau was the worst-affected by the earthquake. There was hardly any standing structure left in the town. Around 2,000 people were killed.

Due to the magnitude of the devastation and the huge death toll, most of the local people left Bhachau soon after the disaster. Being the taluka headquarters, it then became the centre of activity for all governmental as well as NGO initiatives. With temporary offices, medical camps and community kitchens coming up, Bhachau was flooded with a large floating population.

Clearing of debris was still under way and reconstruction is yet to begin. The Bhachau Development Authority has announced a reconstruction plan and details are being worked out for the same.

Meanwhile, all offices and business establishments are functioning from temporary structures. People are living in tents. Bhachau still has the look of a deserted place and it may take at least a year for the city to rise from its ruins.

Khawda is located 70 kms north of Bhuj and about 10 kms from the Great Rann of Kutch. it is the main village and marketplace in this region, with a fair amount of infrastructure. The neighbouring villages are Ratadia, Ludia, Dinara and Godpar. It has a panchayat and the villages that fall under it are: Rathadia, Dhoravar, Jamkunariya, Dhrobana, Kuran, Khawda, Ludia, Soyla, Khari, Andhau, Bhirandaria and Dhendia.

The village Khawda is in the Bani-Pacham region. Bani is a grassland, the biggest grassland in Asia, and Pacham is a hilly terrain bordering the Great Rann. There are six rivers in the region; the Bandi river being the major one. None of them are perennial rivers.

This is a sparsely populated area. The total population of the region is around 40,000. The prominent communities are the Sammas, the Sumras, the Nohri, the Jats, the Muthuas, the Halepotras and the Raisingh. Most of the people have migrated from Pakistan, some of them in the recent past.

In Khawda, the main communities are the Jats, the Muthuas, the Harijans and the Kholis. The population of the village is 5,000.

The birthrate is 42/1000 and the Infant Mortality Rate is 110 per 1000 live births. The Maternal Mortality Rate is 5/1000. Malaria, tuberculosis and malnutrition due to multiple deliveries are the common health problems. The CHC of the region is located at Khawda. A primary health centre is located at Gorewali, with five sub-centres in Pacham and three in Bani. It undertakes routine immunisation for polio, DPT, BCG, DT and TT, and provides other health services.

The literacy rate is very low. There are a number of primary schools but low enrolment and high dropouts are said to be the perennial problems. During the post-monsoon months the schools are virtually empty, as children join their families in agricultural work. Muslims prefer to send their children to the local madrassas or religious schools. There is not a single higher secondary school in the entire region.

In Khawda, the literacy rate is 5 per cent among the population of 15 years and above, and 60 per cent in the population below 15 years. By the 10th standard, 95 per cent of the students drop out.

As the region is close to the international border, it has good roads. A few buses ply till Bhuj. The 'Chakada', a three-wheeler, is the only option for local transportation.

Agriculture is the main occupation, but incomes are not enough to support families. People do not even have regular `patta' or land occupancy records. Agriculture is dependent on rainfall as there is no canal irrigation system in place. Therefore seasonal migration, mostly to south Gujarat, is a regular occurrence. Crops grown in Khawda are moong, jowar, bajri, til, eranda (castor oil seeds), and guwar.

The region is known for its handicrafts: wood carving, leather works and embroidery. Dordo and Ludia villages are renowned centres of handicrafts. In Khawda, traditional craftsmen make shawls, leather bags, purses, caps, sandals, mirrors and fans made of reeds.

Animal husbandry involves rearing of cows, buffalos, goats, horses and camels.

A thorny shrub abundantly found in this region is burned to produce charcoal for industrial purposes.

Belapur Industries Ltd has a chemical factory here.

Though the groundwater level is quite high (15-20 ft), the water is saline and cannot be used for irrigation or drinking. The drinking water supply comes from Chapleri in Anjar taluka through pipelines.

CHC: 30-bed hospital with staff of 27 (some of the posts are vacant), operation theatre, laboratory, ambulance, staff quarters.

Post office, telephone exchange, police station, medical store, bank, primary school, ration shop, and resthouse.

There is no petrol pump. Some private parties sell fuel at a premium.

There is a cable operator at Khawda, but viewing of TV is not encouraged in the Muslim community.

The staple food of the people is 'rotla' made out of bajra or jowar, khichdi, moong, saag and milk products. The Muslims eat non-vegetarian food as well.

Men wear salwar and kameez and women wear salwar, odhni, and kanjra. Sarees are not commonly worn.

The houses are called 'Bhoomgas'. They are circular with conical roofs. Traditionally walls were built using stone blocks with mud paste or wattle and daub. Roofs would be thatched or tiled. Today cement blocks, compressed mud bricks and RCC are being used increasingly.

The villages did not get any relief supply for more than a week. Food and tents started reaching the area only 10 days after the quake, and the supply continued for over a month.

The collapse of houses, destruction of production centres and equipment of the handicrafts industry, coupled with the struggle to get relief supplies, compensation, and the setting up of temporary shelters has adversely affected the economic condition of the people. Even today people are engaged in basic rehabilitation, mainly construction of houses. Economic and social rehabilitation is still to gather momentum.

A few NGOs, including Abhiyan, Kachchh Mahila Vikas Sanghatan (KMVS) and Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad, are assisting the people in these efforts.

Modpar is a small village in the Bhachau taluka of Kutch district. It is located 32 kms east of Bhachau town and 5 kms from the Little Rann of Kutch. Modpar comes under the Vandiya panchayat. The neighbouring villages are Nava, Godpar, Lakhari, Jangi, Vandiya and Lagdheergarh. The nearest market is Jungi\Vandiya (for day-to-day requirements) each 6 kms away. The town of Samkhiyali is 15 kms away. Transport facilities are poor.

Population: Around 500. Modpar is a Hindu village and all the people belong to the Patel community. The language spoken is Gujarati. Nearly half of the village population works in Mumbai.

The major occupation is agriculture. Cotton, bajra, moong, eranda (caster oil seed), jowar and mat are cultivated. The animals reared are cows, buffaloes and goats.

The daily food consists of 'rotla', made of bajra, khichdi, vegetables, and milk products. Jowar is not eaten and the use of dal is minimal. Fuel used for cooking is firewood and dried cowdung cake.

Women wear saris, ghagras and bhaliyas. Men are dressed in shirts and trousers.

Traditionally houses were built with stones and mud paste with tiled roofs.

There were only four pucca houses in the village of 72 households and these have survived the earthquake. The death toll was not very high; only 10 people lost their lives.

Due to the village's proximity to Samkhiyali, people began receiving relief supplies from the third day immediately after the disaster.

The economic impact does not seem to be very severe as half the population of the village is in Mumbai working or doing business. Reconstruction is also taking place at a fast pace, compared to neighbouring villages. People are managing on their own, with assistance from the government. No NGO is involved in the rehabilitation work.

New houses are being built with cement blocks. A number of houses have already been built.