Emergency Relief for 250 fire victims in India

Introduction:

Odisha is vulnerable to natural disaster due to the geo climatic condition. Flood, cyclones, forest fires are a routine affair. As a result, the state suffers from innumerable miseries by way of loss of life, property and damage to the infrastructure.

Cause of the Calamity:

Summer can be very painful in Odisha because the temperature shoots up to an abnormal high across the state mainly because of steady loss of forest cover and climatic changes. The most common calamity during the summer is forest fire contributing to the rise in temperature followed by fire accidents in villages because of poor construction planning and thatched roofs .Every year the state confronts the fire accidents caused by various reasons.  Sometimes big stones roll down from the hills causing ignition of fire mostly on dry leaves.  In the bamboo forest area, when friction occurs   between two dry bamboos it may cause fire. The most common cause of fire is due to callous attitudes of human beings. Sometimes they mindlessly throw cigarette buts or ignite highly inflammable materials in order to destroy those. The entire summer is taken as vulnerable period so far as forest fire is concerned. The people of the Forest department and the leaf pluckers , who are engaged in collection of Kendu leaf (a leaf used for preparation of bidi), cause majority of forest fire incidents.

The Sufferings:

Jhankarpada is a typical village in Boudh district, Odisha where most of the houses are thatched with bamboo and straw as the raw material. The bamboo and the strips of bamboos are tied to one another with the strings .  During the hot summer months, they get quite dry and become readily combustible to catch fire in easily .

On 25^th April 2016, the fire started around 1.30pm in a nearby forest in Jhankarpada village of Sagada Panchayat. The fire soon engulfed the houses within few minutes and the sparks got the touch of wind and got brighter.  That caught the nearest combustible materials and then burn families were rendered homeless.

A house on fire was a horrible sight. Curls of smoke were rose high in the sky. Terrible flames of fire shoot up on all sides. Large pieces of roof fall down aflame with a terrible noise. The knots of dry bamboos burst up with hard strokes of sound. Burning sparks of fire are darted at all directions. The women and children of the house lie outside crying and screaming. Some people were hurled carried away the valuables things from inside of the house.  The people could not save anything except the clothes they were wearing. In order to check the spread of fire, some people remove straw and put water before the fire frightening team moved in. Such terrible sight of house fire is rampant in the village during this hot summer month. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the situation under the control. No life was lost in the accident, while household articles were turned into ashes.People lost their food grain, kitchen utensils and cloths. Children lost their textbook and all study materials.

 When it came to the knowledge of District Administration, most of the different Govt. officers rushed to the spot including fire brigadier team  helped to extinguish the fire and  arranged for drinking water and cooked food for the victims.

Fortunately, some houses of the other lane of the hamlet were saved because of the direction of wind changed and people got together to check the fire.

 As the fire occurred suddenly, people could not save anything. People lost their food grain, kitchen utensils and cloths. Children lost their textbook and all study materials. The immediate major requirements are food, drinking water, shelter and some amount of counseling. People are taking shelter under the tree and some have moved to their relatives. The children are moving around; as the schools are remain suspended due to heat wave.

 Objective:

Providing the post disaster relief to the most marginalized populations affected by disaster.

Coverage/ Demography:

In this sudden calamitous event bring great damage, loss, and destruction and devastation to life and property.The damage caused by such disaster is immeasurable and varies with the geographical location.This influences the mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of the affected area.

The proper statistical study of affected persons was conducted before giving relief.

Relief Operation:

• Team Formation – An eight member team was formed by YCDA for relief operation in that affected area. They sit time to time discussed periodically on progress of relief operation and a detailed account of the money how it’s being spent.
• Damage Assessment – A team was employed to study the damaged dwelling houses and other household things of the victims. They has done the assessment of damage things in the presence of Sarpanch.  Losses caused by house-fire, are immense in the village of Jhankarpada. It was found that, 64nos of families have badly affected their houses and all household things.  Big settlements were burnt to ashes. All the household things like cooking utensils, mattress, bicycle, clothes, rice &food items, education materials of children and the money saving are burnt into ashes except the dress they were wearing. The pain and sufferings of the people were beyond imagination.

• Activity plan -Team started work plan for distribution of the relief materials to the victims as per the emergency need.

1.Issue- Food

Description- People have lost all their saved food grains and now nothing in their hand to eat. Along with this all their kitchen utensils were also reduced to ashes.

Possible solutions-

1. A community kitchen/supply of food items at least for one week looking in to the requirements of the community.
2. Along with a set of cooking utensils need to be supplied.

2. Issue-Drinking water

Description-The entire village depends on tube well for all purposes. As everybody lost all their kitchen utensils, they face problem in storing the water for drinking and cooking purposes.

Possible solutions-

1. A water container to all family to keep water for dirking purposes.
2. Water supply through water tanker for at least one week

3. Issue-Shelter/sleeping

Description-People are taking shelter under the tree/ tarpaulin. Everybody lost his or her mattress.

Possible solutions-

1. Two/three sleeping mattress depending the size of the family numbers needs to be supplied.

4.Issue-Education material

Description-All the children lost their books and copies. 

Possible solutions-

1. All children according their standard need to be provided a set of text book and copies.

5. Issue-Counseling

Description-Due to loss of house and all household belongings and properties peoples are in trauma

Possible solutions-

1. Counseling support to all community members need to be provided in various forms.

Distribution:  

The team expresses the solidarity with the victims in post disaster. YCDA has done the relief operation in affected areas. Three days community kitchen and dry food (wheat, sugar, flat rice, Rawa, candle,matchbox,biscuits) has been distributed to 64 families in that affected area. Cooking Utensil set, mattress distributed to all Victim’s family which were the biggest requirement. 1no of Pot provided to each family for storing the drinking water. Water tanker has been mobilized to supply drinking water.

Education Material (Notebooks, Pencil, Pen, Eraser, Pencil box, Dictionary, Geometry box, School Bagetc ) distributed to 41nos of school going children.

Plan1. Community kitchen/Food supply

Accomplishment-Three days community kitchen and essentials dry food (wheat, sugar, flat rice, candle, matchbox, biscuits) has been distributed to all affected family

Plan2-Kitchen tools/Cooking Utensil

Accomplishment-Cooking Utensil set distributed to all Victim’s family

Plan3- Provision for drinking water

Accomplishment-1no of Pot provided to each family for storing the drinking water. Water tanker has been mobilised to supply drinking water.

Plan 4-Mattress

Accomplishment-2 nos. mattress has been distributed to each victim’s family

Plan 5-Education Material for school going children

Accomplishment-Notebooks, Pencil, Pen, Eraser, Pencil box, Dictionary, Geometry box, School Bagetc. have been already purchased. We are waiting to get textbook from the government.

Liaison with Government/Local Panchayat:  

We worked under the code of conduct of Odisha Disaster relief. We are mobilizing the district administration and local Panchayat for relief and other amenities. On post disaster, Government provided tarpaulin and some cloths. Local gram Panchayat, YCDA and few interested individuals has arranged a community kitchen for the victims. For the medical requirements, local health departments are asked to remain present and do as required. For construction of house, the discussion is going on to cover with existing government schemes.

Rehabilitation measures /Housing:

The active lobby and advocacy with District Administration for coverage of all victim families under housing schemes (Indira Awas Yojana), it resulted Govt. sanctioned of 47 houses in affected areas. The building construction is going on.

Learning’s and way forward plan:

Since the community is the first responder in any disaster situation, there is a great need for community level initiatives in managing disasters.

• Vulnerability assessment of thatched house through micro plan
• Child Protection preparedness
• Community Based Disaster Preparedness- local resource available
• Long term rehabilitation
• Development of block, Gram Panchayat and Village disaster management plans

Conclusion/ Testimonials by Stakeholders:

“We are very happy for relief distribution to the victims and children. Thanks to supporters for their kind support to the victims.” -  VCPC Member

“We are very happy after getting the education material, we didn’t have. We lost our books and other material.

Thanks to YCDA & Supporters for the support” – Village Children

“We are very happy after getting education material and other material for us and our families from YCDA & Supporters.

Thanks to them for their support” – Member of Village ChildClub,Jhankarpada

• YCDA_Report on Relief Assisstance to the victims (PDF)