The Need: Over 30 million people were affected due to floods in India in 2020 wherein the states of Assam and Bihar experienced the worst flooding over the last ten years affecting about 10.5 million people and claiming more than 80 lives. As per the need reported from the ground, the repairing of homes, providing safe drinking water, dry food, and hygiene kits including key items for COVID-19 safety were urgently needed
How We Helped:
Identifying the worse affected region
SEEDS promptly reached out to the affected families in the districts of Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Barpeta and Morigaon in Assam and district Saharsa in Bihar & broadcasted the information of FLOOD ALERT LEVEL 3 through SEEDS’ task force members.
Providing home utilities and ration
SEEDS in partnership with NEADS Assam, distributed over 100 hygiene kits to the most affected families of Bejorsiga, Sumon Sapori, Supal Bagh and Bihari gaon village of Jorhat district, reaching out to over 600 affected people. It also chlorinated 180 hand pumps in the district of Jorhat, Assam giving access to over 1000 people for safe drink water.
Sanitisation at various places
After a flood subsides, the risks of various diseases including Covid-19 increase manifold. Communities suffering from displacement & losses were majorly affected. Therefore, SEEDS focused on de-contamination & sanitisation drive in Jorhat District of Assam wherein numerous shops and houses were sanitised. The shops, adjacent to the shelter homes, were sanitised to provide a safe environment to about 1700 people around.
Safe water and hygiene promotion
SEEDS oriented 70 students in Mahishi block of Saharsa district, Bihar on personal hygiene and hand wash activities from contracting hygiene-related diseases.
SEEDS’s Flood Resilient Houses
The concept of ‘Chang Ghar’ (named in Assamese) built on bamboo stilts or wooden poles is an adaptation of the indigenous Mising tribe (also known as Miri) of Upper Assam. These houses serve the dual purpose of keeping floodwaters and wild animals at bay. SEEDS supported the affected communities in Golaghat district of Assam which has led to a huge impact on the Mising community. Usage of concrete materials and better technologies has also helped make houses, flood-resilient.
Conserving Ground Water For Future Generation
Due to the continuous change in the climate, there is a constant degradation of the water table in Mahishi Block. With SEEDS association under Partners for Resilience – Strategic Partnership, task force members were encouraged to collect rainwater and recharge the groundwater. The team disseminated the information on deterioration in groundwater and its impact on lives in the longer run