The water crisis in the cyclone-hit areas of Odisha is ironic. Some large ponds are filled with debris while others have dried up due to the heat wave that followed the disaster. When Goonj teams mobilized and motivated people of Kantagaon village in Gajapati (Odisha) they got together and constructed a water intake well to make full use of the nearby flowing water stream, using their own local resources. They plastered the inner walls of the well with mud to ensure flowing water got collected in the well itself.
In Puri (Odisha), Deriki Primary School remained closed for many weeks because it was completely strewn with uprooted trees after cyclonic storm. Goonj mobilized people to work on this issue and in just one day, over 100 people gathered to clean the school premises. They cut down and removed the fallen trees, cleared the debris from the surrounding areas and readied the school to be re-opened for their own children!
Similarly when Goonj team visited a badly cyclone affected Agantipada village in Puri District, we came across a pond that was entirely covered with fallen leaves, debris and weeds. With gentle nudge, people collectively worked very hard to clean their 40 x 30ft pond - Reviving the natural water resources. In Chandanpur village, one of the worst affected by Fani cyclone Goonj mobilized 90 people to clean the debris (due to cyclone) from their own village pond.
Post Cyclone Fani people of Odisha have been living a hellish life, trying to revive their homes, roads, water bodies, buildings etc. battered by high speed cyclonic winds, in the midst of a heat wave. Goonj’s ongoing relief and rehabilitation work has already reached over 5000 families in Odisha’s Cyclone Fani affected area. Locals taking part in post disaster reconstruction were rewarded Goonj’s carefully designed “Relief Kit” for their efforts. Working across the country with disaster-hit people, we know that given a choice people always choose to get material with dignity rather than as charity. We must not forget the people of Odisha, even though news may have moved on
Project Reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you will get an e-mail when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports via e-mail without donating.
We'll only email you new reports and updates about this project.
