While the country strives hard to co-exist with the pandemic and its long-term effects on socio-economic grounds, the floods are ravaging states like Assam, Odisha, Karnataka, Delhi, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and many more, leaving millions of lives at risk. These incessant floods have been wrecking the clusters and communities like anything. The number of people affected by the deluge remains at a staggering figure of over 9 million across the country. People have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods, putting the most vulnerable members of society, such as women, adolescents and children at risk. They are left unsheltered and exposed to various threats.
The roads remain submerged, basic amenities are inaccessible and clean water is scarce, as the essential supplies have been ripped off the ground. Those who were already living in poverty are suffering the most. Heart-wrenching stories of destroyed homes and displaced families with their little ones wading through the contaminated waters are being reported.
After facing the harsh reality of floods, these disaster-hit communities are now worried about post-flood complications such as health and hygiene. They are exposed to water-borne and vector-borne diseases. The families, who had to leave their residences on the onset of the disaster, are now returning to their flood-ravaged houses, where they have lost everything to the water. Standing in front of their washed-away properties, they have nothing in their hands. It is a tough path to recovery for them.
From the government reports, around 359 individuals have lost their lives; 23,204 houses are fully damaged while 2,52,372 houses are partially damaged, so far.
As per the report from ground:
- In Assam, 182 people lost their lives and 20,626 houses sustained full damage while 23,9,989 houses sustained partial damage
- More than 15.23 lakh people in 4198 villages across 179 blocks of Odisha have been impacted by the floods
- In Uttar Pradesh, around 17 districts, 21 villages and 1,75,671 people have been impacted by floods
- Over 12,000 people in Delhi have been affected by post-monsoon showers
- In addition to Andhra Pradesh and other states, Telangana’s five districts have also suffered damage to 18,900 acres of horticulture lands
- In Assam, Odisha, Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, about 400 lives have been lost to floods
SEEDS has stepped forward to assist flood-affected families, primarily in Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, Delhi, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, while also responding to the evolving situation in other disaster-hit regions across the country and providing assistance in building transitional shelters and restoring water sources, with a focus on females and marginalised families.
It is to appeal to your generosity to extend support to the most vulnerable communities hit by the floods. Your little help has the potential to bring them relief and long-term recovery assistance from this devastating calamity.
Join us in helping them RISE again!
UPDATES FROM GROUND ZERO
Reacting to the pressing needs and urgency of the situation in these states, our team is working closely with the community volunteers to facilitate immediate relief needs as well as provide long-term assistance through shelters to the affected families in the area, who are living through unimaginable situations.
Our Response
As per the needs assessment carried out by our teams and volunteer networks, we are focused on the following activities:
Immediate Recovery: Cleaning of community water sources like wells; distribution of school kits for children; repair of sanitation facilities at homes; minor repairs at homes (ongoing); health camps
Recovery: Individual transitional homes for impacted households
Through inclusive targeting of vulnerable groups, protection mainstreaming, and life-saving intervention, SEEDS initiatives ensure that the affected, excluded, and unreached communities receive timely and need-based support.
IMPACT:
An inclusive and timely response help the people of these flood-hit states mitigate the adverse health impacts compounded by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Those who have been displaced due to the deluge do not have homes to return to and the situation is likely to be precarious in the coming winters. Damage to the houses and sanitation facilities need renovation and rebuilding work, for which immediate actions are required.
Assam
In Lakhipur Block and Dakshin Mohanpur Village in Sonai Block, Cachar District, SEEDS reached out to communities with water chlorination, food and hygiene kits in close coordination with the District Administration and District Inter-Agency Group to ensure coordinated interventions, avoid duplication and prompt completion of the relief activities.
In addition to the distribution, numerous capacity building activities were organised for the local volunteers and masons to encourage resilience at the local level in Kalain Block. Responding to the floods, restoration of the water resources was carried out to promote safe water and sanitation practices.
The flood-affected families have been working extremely hard to get back on their feet while also trying to rebuild their homes, which were destroyed by mud and muck. For them, the transitional shelters were built, which are made up of bamboo and known to be disaster-resilient, offering long-term support.
Delhi
As a result of Delhi’s swollen Yamuna, floods occur annually in the river’s floodplain and nearby areas. However, the national capital experienced two back-to-back floods this year that had an impact on both people’s lives and means of subsistence. Most of these affected families are dependent on daily wages for their survival; and as floodwaters inundated their hutments, they had to immediately evacuate to a nearby flyover with no resources.
The abrupt evacuation affected their regular routines including education and healthcare. As part of our immediate-response initiative, we reached out to them with food and emergency supplies. During the relief, school kits were distributed to the children to help continue education as they had lost most of their stationeries during floods. Furthermore, sanitary napkins were distributed to the women of these households to address menstrual health and hygiene concerns, especially during floods.
Odisha
Given the inundated hutments and shanties during floods, the affected communities in Odisha required immediate support. Under the disaster response interventions, well chlorination was emphasised to tackle water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) concerns along with the distribution of essential supplies. Many of the flood-hit households had their houses damages and needed support to recuperate and start over. For them, the shelter kits were provided to encourage safe and disaster-resilient housing at vulnerable regions.
Uttar Pradesh
The incessant rains and post-monsoon showers flooded several districts of Uttar Pradesh leading to a disruption in day-to-day lives. Many of the affected families, already living in poverty, had to abandon their houses exposing themselves to multiple vulnerabilities. Facilitating the relief operations in one of the worst-hit districts Shravasti, an initial assessment was conducted to identify the most vulnerable flood-hit families and render interventions to support. Majority of these families are forced to start from scratch as they begin rebuilding their lives.
VOICES FROM THE GROUND
Frontline workers stand strong during floods
Villages have been flooded, the healthcare system has been disrupted, lives have been lost and most importantly, the school system has been shut down in one of Cachar’s administrative blocks, Kalain. In Gumra GP and Rajeshpur GP, the Anganwadis were seen marooned by flood up to window level. The Anganwadi personnel were compelled to evacuate to adjacent relief camps along with the community after it was discovered that the village was flooding. Read More
The only hope is – humanity
Incessant and heavy downpours in the capital city threw lives out of balance. The
post monsoon showers caused Yamuna river to flood and inundate the adjacent areas, forcing the communities residing on the floodplains to seek safety on higher grounds. Read More
Destroyed lives and flooded homes
Prajapati’s little family is left with nothing as they stand in the middle of muck and water. When the floodwaters entered their shanty in Imaliya village, Shravasti district, Uttar Pradesh, they had no alternative but to save themselves. Read More
For further information contact:
Mr. Sidarth Sharma, Resource Mobilisation and Partnership
Mobile: +91 9136001392 | Email: ssharma@seedsindia.org