Subhash Chandra Bose Sankalp Patrika Volume 2 Issue 8 Page 2 August 2012 Embankments and the Road for Shelter
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Book Post Lets Give Life A Better Chance Volume 2 Issue 8 August 2012 16 Pages Re 1 Are you sure your Donated platelets The Param Vir blood group is can be at a risk of Chakra is the O+ve? Did you contamination and highest gallantry know you of the is a major cause for award given to r a r e s t g r o u p ? concern in some Indian soldiers. Turn to page 16 countries. Read Read about it on to know more more on Page 5 Page 8 Project Prayas: Relief for Flood Affected Assam Floods are an annual event at Assam. They barely make news and the administration is usually prepared to handle the situation. However, in June 2012 the floods in the B r a h m a p u t r a b a s i n w e r e unprecedented due to heavy rains leading to a humanitarian crisis that left more than 6 million people displaced at its peak. Sankalp headquartered 3000 km away at Bangalore realised the gravity of the situation and initiated Project Prayas: Relief for the Flood Affected Assam was initiated on 11th July 2012 21:00 hrs. The next 11 days saw the implementation of the largest ever relief mission ● The daily reports from the State Disaster Management Authority, Assam were analysed on undertaken by Sankalp India Foundation in terms of daily basis to identify need patterns. the number of families supported. ● A 2 member field team was sent for field assessment within 5 hours of announcing Code The Challenge Red. The team in conjunction with the Control While working to ensure that the best possible Centre (setup at Bangalore) moved through the help is provided to the needy here are some of the affected area to get first hand reports. challenges that were faced in this event and how ● Regular calls were organised with the they were overcome: District Collectors of the affected districts to get as assessment of the situation from them. Identification of the Need With all these things happening in parallel the The following things were done to ensure that organisation zeroed upon Majuli in Jorhat district. Sankalp has proper and systematic analysis of the Approachable only through ferry, Majuli is the river need. island which was inundated from all sides by the ● A pilot from the Indian Air Force choppers river. Low lying agricultural land had residential who was part of the relief operations in Assam was localities which were found to be under 4-6 feet of approached to get the rough picture of the affected standing water. The people had moved to the area. Give me blood and I will give you freedom! - Subhash Chandra Bose Sankalp Patrika Volume 2 Issue 8 Page 2 August 2012 embankments and the road for shelter. Food and m e d i c i n e s w e r e w e l l o r g a n i s e d b y t h e administration. However the people needed tarpaulin s h e e t s f o r b u i l d i n g temporary shelters. The administration requested for as many tarpaulins as possible. On the north bank of the Brahmaputra, the district of Sonitpur reported a fresh round of floods after the 3 d a y d o w n p o u r . A n embankment breach had devastated an area which does not get flooded normally leading to utter chaos and pandemonium in the lives of absolutely unprepared poor country folks. 5 hours long field trip on an National Disaster Relief Force rescue boats covering 60 kms and about 20 villages exposed the gravity of the situation to the field team. All the villages were under 5-6 feets of water and people were forced to live in camps. The voice of the people, the Circle Officer - Noudar Circle (In-charge of relief) and the District Collector was in sync - they needed tarpaulins too . approached their own friends. Within two days a Logistics and Purchase huge human chain was working to raise The tarpaulin traders in Guwahati were pursued awareness and welcome participation for the relief relentlessly to get the best deals. In-spite of the program. With this report we send congratulations general market in Guwahati being in a very to the couple of hundred donors who made the exploitative mode - the organisation was fortunate seemingly impossible look trivial. From insufficient and persuasive enough to find a vendor who was funds for 400 tarpaulins, the organisation finally willing to offer the sheets at a very convincing rate managed to get 1947 sheets purchased. All of Rs 120/- per kilogram. thanks to the support of the numerous donors who contributed generously responding to the appeals Mobilisation of Resources of the organisation. The organisation followed the approach of keeping people informed about every minute With good funds coming through the organisation d e v e l o p m e n t t h r o u g h F a c e b o o k a n d was able to manage a second phase of relief SankalpIndia.Net. Friends were approached who program for Sootea. Once the funds matching the We will face the bullets of the enemies, we are free and will remain free. - Chandra Shekhar Azad Sankalp Patrika Volume 2 Issue 8 Page 3 August 2012 projected expenses on the relief materials were At Sonitpur received the organisation stopped collections. The Delivery of Relief At Majuli The relief materials at Majuli were carried across the Brahmaputra in a ferry and then distributed. At places there was obstruction to movement with people who had already been given tarpaulins by other agencies asking for them. The team stood firm and ensured systematic relief distribution. A list of villages was drawn which were completely submerged and allotment was made for each of them. The responsibility of ferrying the tarpaulins using NDRF boats and distribution was given to the Village Defence Party, Secretaries who come under the preview of the local police. The residents of the villages which received the tarpaulins were informed about the stocks being sent to ensure more transparency. The plan worked well and we had a smooth process of delivery of goods to the needy. Financials A b o u t P u b l i c contributions: !Project Prayas led to the Public contribution of Rs. 3,38,498/- which was used for the purchase of relief materials. The balance from the Public contributions is Rs 1,770/- !A large chunk of public contribution (Rs. 37,761/- ) were contributed well beyond the final deadline for contribution. A b o u t o p e r a t i o n a l contributions: !T h e O p e r a t i o n a l c o n t r i b u t i o n b y volunteers and close associates was Rs. 74,476/- Out of this Rs.50,960/- was spent on all operations including t r a v e l , t r a n s p o r t , Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it - Bal Gangadhar Tilak Sankalp Patrika Volume 2 Issue 8 Page 4 August 2012 accommodation, food, communications and earned money of sensitive people who decided to some miscellaneous expenses. trust Sankalp India Foundation to carry feelings !The expenses on operations were largely and the much needed goods from them to the contributed to by travel and transport. The victims. The organisation is the carrier of your target locations were both far off from the gesture, your feelings, your expression of mainstream and also in remote areas. oneness with those who suffer in remote, !The balance Rs.25,286/- have been kept unknown corners of our nation. Sankalp aside as seed fund for next disaster. volunteers are proud to know such individuals. Salient features Thank you everyone who contributed to making !The mobilization of funds for Prayas was Prayas a success. done largely by individuals. !Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and SAP, Conclusion India supported Prayas. Mount Carmel Project Prayas, the attempt to extend relief to the College organized for a room-to-room visits victims of the floods ended with approximately with collection box. At SAP, a mail was sent to 10,000 individuals (average family size in Assam all the employees encouraging them to is 5) from the 1947 families which received in contribute to Prayas. !tarpaulins sheets sleeping in drier and more Commendable effort for fund collection was livable conditions. Far from the watchful lenses of put in by Sankalp Friends and well wishers at the media houses, far from the attention of the SAP, L&T, Fidelity and TCS. !mainland, the sons and daughters of our soil faced The acknowledgment receipts for tarpaulins neglect and apathy. Sankalp India Foundation is for each village are available on request. proud and honoured to have received the trust and support of those citizens who felt for the suffering A Note of Thanks people and decided to do something about it. It is difficult to put in words what difference it Sankalp invites organisations and individuals to makes when authorities and common people in join in the organisation’s Disaster Relief Partner Assam hear that their countrymen residing Program to ensure that next time the disaster thousands of kilometers away, got together and strike our soil, we put up a relief mission in a did their bit to ease their pain. Project Prayas will bigger, better and faster manner reaching out to be remembered by Sankalp volunteers as the our brethren when they need help, the most! project in which common folks alone came Complete Project Report is available on together to show that we all care.