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EFICOR
J&K Update 3
Update from Jammu
Present situation
Even as the flood subsides, the impact of the floods is still unfolding. One devastating impact of the flood is the large scale displacement of thousands of residents living in Nowshera block of Rajouri district in Jammu.
The villages and houses in this district are isolated and scattered from one another, making it an arduous and difficult to reach area. Apart from the difficult geographical terrain, these areas bordering Pakistan (Sir Makadi) are also high risk zones, as a continuous exchange of fire continues to take place between the Indian army and terrorist groups.
Activity
In order to identify the neediest households, the EFICOR relief team has conducted surveys in these villages with assistance from its local partners and the District administration. The Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Noushera, Ms. Dipti Uppal extended her support to the team by deputing some patwaris (accountants) to assist EFICOR and gave a tentative list of beneficiaries made by the administration. The Survey conducted by the team revealed that displaced families in this area find shelter under plastic sheets in public places and in their relatives’ homes. No other organisation has reached out to the people in this area or provided any form of relief according to the residents.
Apart from the difficult geographical terrain, the team has been conducting survey in this high risk zone, so as to ensure that all the neediest people are covered in the beneficiary list. An incident took place after a survey in Kalal village of Helqua Panchayat, where there was an exchange of fire between the Indian army and the insurgent groups, which resulted in the death of 5 army men. Even though extremely risky, through these commendable efforts, a lot of difficult to reach needy households affected by the recent floods will be able to receive relief assistance. The team has identified 512 households as beneficiaries in 22 villages in Nowshera block of Rajouri District. While the survey for Sunderbani block is still in the process
Distribution Plan:
Since the selected beneficiaries live in isolated and scattered locations, the team has decided to have a one-time distribution in a common and approachable place for each Panchayat
Updates from Srinagar
Present situation:
The situation in Srinagar has not returned to normalcy. Even though the water level receded considerably, still some parts are covered with water forcing people to find solace in temporary shelters arranged by different agencies. Dead body remains of both human and animals are trapped in mud and debris creating foul smell and increasing peoples’ vulnerability to different diseases. The government, along with other agencies has been tirelessly working to drain out (dewater) the stagnant water from the residential areas.
Activities:
The EFICOR Relief team conducted a needs assessment in Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam districts which are the worst affected three districts in Srinagar. In this process they met the Deputy Commissioners (DC) to seek their support in identifying the worst affected areas in the district to execute the relief operations successfully. The team also got the concerned DCs assistance to visit some of the worst affected places and were assured governments support to execute relief operations.
On 16th September, the team participated in the NGOs coordination meeting organized by Sphere India group. Along with Dr. Mujafar Ahmed, Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), about seventy representatives from different NGOs and originations participated in the meeting. The major point of discussion during the meeting was on the rapid needs assessment, identification of beneficiaries and the strategies for relief operations. The forum decided to disseminate the first draft of the assessment report on 26th Sept 2014
Next step:
Identification of beneficiaries for the relief distribution
Setting up distribution points in coordination with local agencies and administration
Challenges:
¨ Lack of accurate, official information on the level of damage
¨ Security continues to be a matter of concern, but the DCs assured of proper security during relief distribution.
For further queries, please contact:
Mr Kennedy Dhanabalan, Executive Director, EFICOR
Mobile :+9198712243061, Email:kennedy@eficor.org or kennypremi@gmail.com
Mr. Ramesh Babu, Director Programmes, EFICOR
Mobile :+919910398601, Email:hq@eficor.org or mbaburamesh@gmail.com
Mr Harshan K Y, Manager - Emergency Response & DRR
Mobile :+919650892146, Email:hq@eficor.org or harshanky@gmail.com
Queries regarding donations, please contact
Sheila George, Manager – Resouce Mobilisation
Mobile :+919810986890, Email : sheilageorge@eficor.org
