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Humanitarian Assistance to Vulnerable Population Affected by Flood in Assam

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  • Humanitarian Assistance to Vulnerable Population Affected by Flood in Assam

Duration – 2012
Supported by – Action Aid India & European Commission for Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO)
Area – Dikhowmukh & Disangmukh, Dist- Sivasagar

Assam Flood

Due to torrential rain in the catchment area of Brahmaputra Basin and incessant downpour in the upper reach of Arunachal Pradesh, the Brahmaputra and its tributaries went on spate since 24th June for breach of Brahmaputra embankment. The rapid surge of rising water of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries namely Buridihing, Disang, Dikhow, Litong and Dorika extensively inundated the low lying areas specially Dikhowmukh and Disangmukh pocket of the Sivasagar district. As the rainy season is running in full swing it will be difficult on the part of the government to repair the embankment and hence occurance of subsequent flood can not be ruled out. Economically the weaker sections of society (poorest of the poor), Women and Children, elderly persons, population residing in remote areas i.e. Chars and Chaporis(Island) and villages situated at the low lying areas are worst affected.

The Targeted Villages
1. 1 No. Rupahikunk
2. 2 No. Rupahimukh
3. Alimur Puronigudam
4. Janmiri Borgaon
5. Soraguri Chapori
6. Alichiga
7. Bahir Ligiribari
8. Mamol Garhbhaga
9. Gotonga
10. Afala NC

The Programme Objective –
To Provide Emergency Humanitarian Assistance to the Vulnerable Population Affected by Flood

The Trust Areas & the Key Activities
Cash for Work Programme.

Cash-for-work was the short-term intervention used under our humanitarian assistance programme to provide temporary employment to the most vulnerable segments of population affected by flood. The work programmes was including repairing of roads, clearing waste or re-building infrastructures like village road connectivity, community schools, shelters, halls and handpumps in disaster worst affected areas as an interim employment generation and livelihood support option. The total targeted beneficiaries under the programme were 200 nos.

Restoration of Livelihood Programme
1. Kitchen Garden as Restoration of Livelihood Support to Poor Women:
To reduce affected peoples economic risk, supports of vegetable seeds were provided to the poor women folk of the affected area. In total 195 women were supported with kitchen garden seeds like Spinach, Cabbage, Knolkhol, Coriander, Radish and Beans. This support was extended in order to restore economic generation activities during post flood season among the poor people affected by flood.

2. Support to the farmers for mustard cultivation in Majuli

In total 195 individual farmers have been extended incentive supports for mustard cultivation. The area has a great potentiality for mustard production and market accessibility. We have been observing that this alternate cultivation has been emerging as one of the best agricultural adaptations in the floodplain of Assam for restoration of agriculture based livelihood during the aftermath of flood.

The objective of demonstrating this initiative is to encourage the farmers to adopt such farming practices which have low value inputs and traditional technology and also have better yield which can stabilize agriculture based income for them. To reduce the economic risk of people in the flood affected region, this cultivation can stand with good production capacity during post disaster risk reduction period.

3. Fishing Kit Support to the Fisher Folk living along the river Brahmaputra

A segment of the targeted population was the rural fisher folk who live along the river Brahmaputra. Their daily returns are generated from fishing in the rivers and from the wetlands. To sustain their occupation, 120 poor fisher folk beneficiaries are supported with 1 khewali fishing net, 1 fashi fishing net and 1 tuna for rebuilding their income generating works.

4. Support to Potter Families

One of the core livelihood interventions was extending support in order to develop the pottery works among the landless and marginal farmers. Total 80 potter’s families of a cluster of the project area were supported with requisite earth and kiln to initiate their production.

5. Yarn support to women weavers

To strengthen of women based livelihood sources which also can mitigate the effect of disruption created by disaster like flood, 130 traditional women weavers of the project area were supported with yarn. The women group will be oriented on market driven productivity later on and linkage will be established for its sustainable implementation.

Installation of Flood – Resistant Handpumps and Sanitation Structure.

For accessing safe drinking water during flood crisis by the affected people, a total 10 numbers of raised handpumps with elevated platform with in-built chlorination system were being constructed in the targeted project villages of Sivasagar. The handpumps were designed for installation at a community donated land. In addition, total 20 existing household and community level handpumps sources of the project villages were rehabilitated by raising the concrete platform.

Hygiene Promotion Training

A series of WASH capacity building events were held covering the total 10 villages of Sivasagar district. The objective of the programme was to train the members of ‘Duryug Bebosthapoana Samiti’ and community leaders on WASH promotional programme during and after flood situation such as chlorination of handpumps, environment cleanliness, safe disposal of human waste, building awareness for hygiene promotion, generating public awareness through IEC materials etc. Women are given high focus on gender specific issues including as women health and hygiene.

Restoration of Shelter with DRR Features.

In the worsened flood situation of 2012, the affected community experienced this sort of crisis devastation after a massive gap which caused widespread damage to their houses and other basic shelter infrastructure. Houses have been flooded with many having to seek refuge at temporary relief camps. Many houses have been destroyed, forcing people to live in such camps. Due to rapid submergence in many affected pockets of the floodplains, people had to move to camps without carrying their daily necessary staff. During the humanitarian assistance and flood rehabilitation programme, NEADS supported 130 nos. of shelters whose houses had been washed away and fully damaged. Out of 130 supported houses, 46 was Assam type katchha and 84 was Mishing Chang ghar.