A BOLTON man has returned from the earthquake-devastated region of India with a message of hope.

Valji Sonara, an information technology worker at Hayward School in Morris Green has been on two separate mercy missions to Gujerat.

He says the contrast between now and when he and a team from Daubhill's Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan (SKSS) first went out in February in the immediate aftermath of the quake is hugely encouraging.

Then they were greeted by scenes of desolation, with countless people in the Bhuj area left homeless and without basic amenities.

Mr Sonara warned that unless aid kept flooding in, Gujerat could face another humanitarian crisis.

But continuing support for various Bolton appeals, including the SKSS Temple's appears to have stemmed the disaster.

Mr Sonara said: "It's much better now. There's been a marked improvement. Most of the rubble has been removed and water, electricity and food are all readily available again. Lots of temporary housing projects are well on their way to completion.

"It's very encouraging. But the villages still need rebuilding from scratch and it's going to take a lot of time. The main priority now is to ensure there's enough financial support for the long-term recovery of the area."