RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OPERATIONS WITH BHARAT NIRMAN VOLUNTEERS.
The Himalayan Indian State of Uttarakhand is well-known for its thriving spiritual and religious tourism, ecological diversity, and cultural ethos based on traditions. However, it is also well-known for its increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, as well as for the fragility of its ecological and geological systems.
The region saw its greatest tragedy in recent memory in the month of June 2013, which resulted in significant human casualties and extensive property damage. The accident occurred during the busiest travel and pilgrimage season, greatly increasing the number of fatalities and negatively affecting rescue and relief efforts in the short term. The whole State’s territory had “heavy” to “very heavy” rainfall that led to flash floods and landslides throughout a sizable area. This rainfall may have been caused by the interaction of westerlies and the Indian Monsoonal cloud system. The worst-affected districts were Bageshwar, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi. Due to a scarcity of vital goods, large populations in numerous sections of the State were cut off and suffered.
The media referred to the catastrophe as the “Himalayan Tsunami” and it resulted in widespread death tolls, destruction of property, infrastructure, and the environment, as well as effects on local economy and way of life. The flash flood incidents had an effect on almost nine million people. The hardest impacted districts were Bageshwar, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi. According to the data made public by the State Government on May 9, 2014, there were a total of 169 fatalities and 4,021 reported missing (presumed dead) individuals. 2,513 homes were entirely destroyed, 11,091 animals perished, and 4,200 settlements were impacted. Numerous travelers and locals were stuck in the challenging mountainous terrain of the high Himalayas.
It is also interesting that the majority of the deaths were citizens of other States and Union Territories at the time because of the large number of visitors and pilgrims. While physical exposure to the flash flood was the major cause of mortality, the hard weather, such as the constant rain, piercing cold, and timely lack of availability (of food, drinkable water, shelter, warm garments, etc.) were also to blame for the dismal anguish of pilgrims. Housing suffered significant damage in both urban and rural regions since communities were mostly centered near the rivers.The significant interruption of essential services including food, housing, health, education, women’s and children’s care that came from damage to public facilities.
In response, Hamara Sankalp assumed command of the 800 Bharat Nirman Volunteers (BNVs) and took on the task of evacuating and rehabilitating the approximately 9000 catastrophe victims from 184 villages in the Naogaon block of the Uttarkashi District.The skilled Bharat Nirman Volunteers displayed an unwavering demeanor and worked tirelessly till and unless the victims received assurances regarding their urgent requirements and support of all kinds. In order to ensure recovery from trauma and any other sorts of danger related to the accident, medical personnel have completed their vital work. In order to give dual assistance of relief and recovery, the rehabilitation exercise included both urgent and strategic sustainable measures. This allowed social order to be restored in practically every facet that had been disrupted.
| Targeted Beneficiaries | Disaster victims |
| Total no. Of beneficiaries | 9550 |
| Total Collaborative partners | 03 |
| Operational Area | Naogaon Block,Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand |
COVID EMERGENCY RESPONSE
We always want to be in the forefront of all efforts to assist the nation and its government, using all available resources. When the nation was struck by the coronavirus epidemic this year, we prioritized ensuring the security and assistance of our beneficiaries as well as the communities we served.
TRAINING COVID FRONTLINE WORKERS
One of the top priorities is safeguarding the lives of our beneficiaries, their families, and communities. We supported our government’s efforts to educate front-line staff on Covid, safety procedures, and ways to increase their excitement. We have helped the Panchayati Raj and local government organizations improve their ability to halt the spread of Covid in rural regions. Our programme has benefited over 500 of these frontline employees. We were able to establish new collaborations with several local and state institutions because to our excellent training.outreach to families impacted by CovidDuring the big calamity of COVID-19, we prepared our community mobilization team to be on hand and play a crucial part in maintaining the psychological well-being of our communities.We started a digital outreach programme to engage with families who may have been impacted by covid or who may be at risk. We will walk them through the precautions and steps to take to get their lives back to normal as well as assist them maintain contact with the local hospitals that provide care for covid. More than 500 families have benefited from the counseling help we have successfully provided.
| Targeted Beneficiaries | Frontline workers |
| Total no. Of beneficiaries | 600 |
| Total Collaborative partners | 04 |
| Operational Area | Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Manipur |
EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF
Due to a lack of resources and the loss of their source of income and jobs, many families, especially those who are BPL and the poorest, had to face hunger during the statewide lockdown.We took action to find these families and provide them with basic food packages that would sustain them for more than two months. We provided food that was most essential for preserving life, such as wheat flour, lentils, rice, spices, cooking oil, salt, and others. We were able to help more than 500 of these families who were in the greatest need thanks to our efforts.
| Targeted Beneficiaries | BPL families |
| Total no. Of beneficiaries | 2000 families |
| Total Collaborative partners | 03 |
| Operational Area | Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Maharashtra |
DISTRIBUTION OF SAFETY KITS
The use of masks, frequent hand washing with hand sanitizer, and social distance were the most effective ways to stop the spread of Covid. Many families were unable to afford owing to their dire financial circumstances, lack of knowledge, and ignorance. These households were thought to be the most susceptible to contracting the coronavirus. We identified these families by scanning, and we provided safety and hygiene kits to more than 8000 families. Additionally, our group raised awareness about sanitization, isolation, emergency treatment, and other topics.
| Targeted Beneficiaries | BPL families
|
| Total no. Of beneficiaries | 8000 families |
| Total Collaborative partners | 02 |
| Operational Area | Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur,Delhi, Uttar Pradesh Maharashtra |