Disaster Preparedness and Flood Emergency Responses

by Jacob CG, Chethana Coordinator

Natural Disasters are common occurrences around the world and particularly in India. We have become immune to media reports of nature fury by our regular experience with them. The worst victims of natural disasters are the marginalized communities like the Dalits, fisher folks, subsistance farmers and particularly women and children across the board.

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Manmade "natural"disasters

Psalm 69 sounds like a mercy call of the victim to the God. But more than that: it can also be understood as a political call of the victims of marginalization to the public, to social action groups, and to the Church.

Disasters tend to evoke a momentary sense of pity and at times an effort to reaching out to the anonymous victims. Then our lives move on.

Relief is important, indeed, as an immediate response to the mercy call of the victims. Anybody working with vulnerable communities should have the capability for a first response and we undeniably need to go with goods and kinds. But we also have to realize that relief alone does not alter in any substantial way the victims' living conditions or help them deal with the same calamities any better a next time around. Many of the so-called natural catastrophes, such as floods, droughts, salinity of soil etc., are in fact human made disasters that could have been be prevented.

Re-defining disaster preparedess and response

Chethana would therefore like to encourage a political re-reading of the causes of disasters and develop a political response to them. Subsequently, the network seeks to redefine "disaster preparedness" as "enabling people to protect themselves to expose and address the structural injustices that create such disasters through solidarity networks and sustainable alternatives, and with government participation ". This new definition should help bring about an awareness that would not anymore treat the victims as objects who are devoid of any power and rights, and who therefore are unable to think for themselves. Rather it would encourage and empower them to act upon their own and to safeguard their rights.

Climate Change

Climate change is threatening to cause an even greater occurance of disasters. Many countries are already taking steps to reduce their vulnerability to weather and climatic hazards, such as floods, cyclones, heat waves and droughts. To improve India’s preparedness, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) plans to bring out a comprehensive database in the next one year. According to NIDM executive director, P.G. Dhar Chakravarti, this is the first time an attempt is being made to map calamities in all 596 districts of the country that would catalogue 32 types of disasters, including industrial accidents,

Even though floods, droughts and cyclones are regular occurrences, India proves often to be ill-equipped to either respond adequately to the resulting emergencies or gauge their impact on the nation’s economy. The country’s preparedness is also hampered by a lack of adequate data that could help the government deal with both major and minor disasters. Last but not least the absence of a political reading of the root cause of the respective disasters will only perpetuate and possibly increase the occurence of these disasters.

Chethana's joint flood relief with Church Auxilery for Social Action (CASA)

Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool and Guntur are among the many districts that are repeatedly hit by floods and many of our working places in Nandyal, Adoni, and Gundur have been seriously affected. The Presbyterian Hunger Program and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance persuaded CASA to recognize Chethana as one of its Indian partners and work with us to respond to our distress calls on behalf of the victims of the most recent floods, which devastated selected villages in our regions.

This is a first time recognition by CASA of Chethana’s efforts to reach out in relief for its marginalized communities during times of disaster. Though it is a small help, the relationship that has been established between CASA and CHETHANA is important in light of our future disaster programs.

CASA supplied 650 relief material kits, which were distributed by themselves directly to our villages. Those relief materials contain 10 kg of rice, 2 kg of dal, salt, an oil packet, chilly powder, and further traditional clothes like Sari and Dhoti, a blanket and twelve pieces of utensils.

The following villages benefitted from CASA through our Local partner organisations:

• BIRDS working area- Lingala village in Nandyal: 170 families got relief materials. Along with local CASA field officer. Local Government officials and Panchyat president were present during this relief work
• AARDIP Working Area – Rampuram village of Mandralayam Mandal : 150 families benefitted.
• DAWAN Society working area- Madhyagudem village of Pedalanka : 160 families got relief materials
• SABALA working area - Narayanapuram village : 162 families got relief materials

Workshop on Disaster, Climate change and Sustainable Agriculture.

Following the recent floods in working areas of our partner organizations of Chethana  and the relief efforts in collaboration with CASA, and in light of the network's philosophy on the political dimensions of the underlying causes of these catastrophies and the needed future responses, CHETHANA organized a two-day orientation workshop on the 14th and 15th December 2009 with training of members of partner organizations and selected community leaders in Tamil Nadu.

The main topics and presenters of this workshop were:

• Introduction: Understanding the disaster, sustainable agriculture and climate change- C.G. Jacob, Chethana Coordinator
• Privatization of community land, natural resources and disaster- Mr. A. Marirajan, Coordinator of JASUL network
• Modern farming practices in light of global warming, climate change, and disaster- Mr. S. Rajaram, organic agricultural activist
• Linkage of NREGA and other people-oriented programs during an emergency responses- Mr. A Lawrence, lawyer from Vilupuram
  

Around 28 participants from Tamil Nadu partner organizations participated in this workshop. They learned how to understand and interpret the political dimensions of disasters relating to agriculture, such as the problems caused by excess usage of synthetic fertilizers and the subsequent soil degradation; the inappropriate cropping along with genetically modified seeds that result in the depletion of ground water; and appropriation of community land by coorporations and local land grabbers with through powerful political lobby, causing forest degradations.

Last but not least, participants learned how, during times of disasters, people can make use of available government schemes and programs for their immediate relief, particularly by using the NREGA scheme.

A Miracle of Mutuality

by Jacob CG, Chethana Coordinator

Rani is the bread winner for a family of five women. When her father died, he left behind two mothers, two sisters from her father’s second marriage and herself. The family has three acres of open-well irrigated land. Following the death of her father, however, her uncle assumed control over their land and started paying the five women a meagre wage to labor on their own land, an amount that was barely enough for them to survive.

Conscious of the layers of exploitation she and her family were subjected to, Rana became determined to bring about some changes. It was with this resolve that she joined Manushi, a Chethana network partner organization working among women and farmers. To begin with, Manushi assisted her in evicting her uncle from their land, so that the five women could assume control over what was rightfully theirs. But in an economic system that is unfriendly towards small holder and subsistence farmers, control over a piece of land and cultivation of that land does not necessarily ensure financial security. In fact, the paddy they farmed hardly produced enough income to meet their livelihood needs.

For instance, to cultivate an acre of land, Rani spent about Rs. 10,000 (US$ 218) for all agricultural inputs such as seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, electricity etc. The yields usually comprised 1500 kg of paddy or unprocessed rice. This was sold to a middle man for Rs. 8 per kg, making a total of Rs. 12,000 with a profit margin of just Rs. 2000 (US $43.50)

It was at that point, in 2007, that Chethana initiated the Women’s Co-operative Livelihood program and Manushi started two women’s group of 15 women each: the Pasumai Pengal Kuzhu (Green Women’s Group) and Lyarkai Pengal Kuzhu (Nature Women’s Group). The Green Women’s group was given a seed money of Rs. 30,000 for the organic cultivation of paddy and the produce has since been processed and marketed without the interference of any middlemen. The Nature Women’s group was given a seed money of the same amount for the production of organic agricultural inputs such as seeds, vermi-compost and pest repellents. They mutually support each other in the production of organic paddy cultivation.

This initiative really addressed the economic crisis that Rani faced. She became a member of the Pasumai Pengal Kuzhu and with their joint effort in organic cultivation of paddy, she is now able to produce 1,800 kg of paddy from one acre of land, selling about 900 kg of parboiled rice at the rate of Rs. 20 per kg directly to the market, and thereby earning a total of Rs. 18,000 against a production cost of Rs. 8,500. Moreover, she was also able to sell 600 kg of rice bran at the rate of Rs. 5 per kg, earning Rs. 3,000. Altogether her profit margin rose from Rs. 2000 to 11,500!

Rani's miracle was achieved thanks to organic cultivation methods, co-operative efforts in processing, value addition, and marketing without the interference of middle men. This is also example of what could be achieved by empowering woman with ownership, control, and management of land and through their mutual support as women’s groups. This miracle of “feeding the five thousand” could be further expanded if there is more support from our partners.

Rani and many women like her are supported through the Women’s Co-operative Alternative Livelihood Initiatives program of Chethana. See also the India Chapters in the First and Sixth Edition of the JH Newsletter

The Women’s Co-operative Alternative Livelihood Initiatives program was initially supported by PHP and the PCUSA Presbyterian Women but has since been discontinued for lack of funding.

Joining Hands in the US through the Presbytery of Sacramento

If your church or group would like to learn more about the work of the Presbyterian Hunger Program in India please contact Joining Hands Sacramento. You can mail either John Wallace as the current chair of the Mission Committee at the Sacramento Presbytery at John.Wallace@cdph.ca.gov, or Garry Cox at garrylcox@sbcglobal.net . They will be happy to arrange a slide presentation and discussion on this important mission project.