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Vision
To provide relief to the victims
of Earthquake in Kashmir as an immediate
measure to alleviate their suffering followed
by rehabilitation activities for their shelter
and livelihood as an initial process for
their development .
Catastrophe
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A massive earthquake,
measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale
shook the whole of Pakistan, parts
of Afghanistan and Kashmir on either
side of the border on the morning
of October 8th 2005. Official estimates
put the death toll over 35,000. In
Jammu and Kashmir over 1400 people
perished, over 5000 injured and thousands
were rendered
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A cultural exchange programme with
the youth of Kashmir at Vailankanni
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By 12th of October over 2000 patients
were flown to Srinagar, capital of Jammu
and Kashmir by the army and the hospitals
were full. Many patients refused to
leave the hospital after the initial
treatment saying "What can we do?
It is much better here than spending
the nights in the open fields in chilling
cold". |
Thousands of houses were
razed in the remote villages of Jammu and
Kashmir by this earthquake and they became
unapproachable by land. People have lost
everything - dear ones, children, houses,
cattle and all their belongings. In some
villages there were army operations of airdropping
of food, blankets and medicines. But in
many villages few who survived continue
their desperate rescue operations. What
remained to be seen was nothing but death,
pain, cries, tears and frustration. More
details of the people affected by earthquake
in 11 areas belonging to 8 villages are
given below:-
Intervention
Relief
Distribution of Relief materials
to Earthquake victims at URI, Kashmir
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PDA understanding the
great need of humanitarian help in
Kashmir moved into the remote villages
on 12th of October and helped people
with warm cloths and food materials.
Initially 10 persons were involved
in the activities of relief and later
3 more women workers were inducted
into the relief activities. Initially
the relief
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materials were distributed
in 6 villages - Kamlkote, Dachi, Salamabad,
Sulthan Dikki, Madiya and Uri and
in the two hospitals at Srinagar-
Youth Hospital and Bone and Joint
Hospital. The relief work continued
after that with a planned program
of providing relief to 8 villages
namely Soura, Silikot, Tilawari, Thajal,
Danisyda, Choolan, Zaboorpatan and
Kalsa.
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PDA relief team at Kashmir
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Assessing the relief activities that were
rendered to the Earthquake victims the following
details can be seen as the people who received
the benefits:-
Families:-1358
Men:-1773
Women: - 1817
Children:- 3564
Total number of Beneficiaries:-7154
The materials provided
are as following:-
Tent sheets, Cloths, Jackets, Warm cloths,
Bed sheets, Kangri, Blankets, Rice, Biscuits,
sweets, Soaps, Shoes, Socks , Semi- permanent
Houses, Tin sheets, Plywood sheets, Polythene
Sheets and medicines .
Rehabilitation
While the relief activities were going with
the objective of helping the people to get
back to their normal life- rehabilitation-
we have conducted skill training workshops
such a carpentry, masonry, electrician and
repairing of stabilizers etc. For women
tailoring, embroidery and other such skill
trainings were imparted. The people benefited
out of these trainings are as following:-
Women
- 140
Men-
94
It is envisaged that these beneficiaries
will be engaged in income generating activities
with substantial financial assistance in
the form of loan.
Methodology
Though a large number of villages were affected
by earthquake in Kashmir, the focus of our
attention and relief operations were the
villages that were severely destroyed by
the earthquake and remained inaccessible
and hardly received any relief assistance
from NGOs and the Government. A detailed
assessment of the needs of these villages
were done and based on these needs we have
extended our help for the people who really
suffered the impact of the earthquake. Having
identified the need to keep themselves from
the severe cold and the rain, initially
we helped the people with blankets, warm
cloths, bed sheets, Kangari, shoes, socks
and the materials for building tents to
shelter themselves from cold and rain. With
the continued interaction with these villages
we have also felt that the people have to
be helped with essential commodities for
their survival such as food, materials for
cooking and other articles for household
and personal use. Having provided these
relief materials, the very crucial and important
need and request of the people was the materials
for housing. The temporary tents though
to some extent helped them to shelter themselves
from rain and cold, with the growing cold
wave condition, there were incidents of
the elderly and the children dying due to
inadequate safeguards from very severe cold
condition after the earthquake. Responding
to this need we have systematically made
a study of the requirements for each family
and each village and gathered the details
of the total requirement of materials such
as Tin Sheets, wood, plywood sheets and
polythene sheets. Based on the need identified,
we have provided the housing materials to
each family according to their need to build
their houses. Eventually most of the houses
of the victims are rebuilt and now they
have a secure and safe shelter. The relationship
of PDA with the affected people did not
remain with the mere provision of relief
and rehabilitation in these villages, but
rather it grew to become a commitment to
develop these people with dignity and respect.
The initial activities that were undertaken
with this spirit were the skill training
for men and women for their livelihood.
The earthquake not only destroyed their
dear ones, houses and household materials,
but also destroyed all the livelihood opportunities.
The agricultural activities came to a stand
still and there were hardly any resources
to revive and regain their occupations connected
with animals such as cows, goats and sheep.
It was in this context that the men and
women who were interested, desirous and
had the aptitude and attitude to learn the
skills of Carpentry, Masonry , Electrician,
tailoring, embroidery etc were started.
The main of these trainings were to help
them learn a skill that would enable them
to earn a decent income by being self employed
or employed.
Jammu
and Kashmir (J&K)
J& K is divided into 3 Divisions
for administrative purposes and they are
Kashmir, Ladak and Jammu & Kashmir .Kashmir
has Srinagar, Budgaum, Baramulla, Kupwara,
Anathnag and Puluvama as districts. The
area of operation of PDA falls under the
district of Baramulla and the Tehsil is
Uri. It is in Uri, that we are working in
8 villages namely
Soura, Silikot, Tilawari, Thajal, Danisyda,
Choolan, Zaboorpatan and Kalsa.
LIVELIHOOD
Majority of people living in these villages
are marginal farmers with an average land
holding of 2 acres on the hilly areas which
are barren and the cultivation is only possible
when there is moderate rain. Maze is the
major cultivation and often what is invested
is lost due to erroneous rain fall and other
natural causes. It is seldom that the income
becomes commensurate with the investment
and the farmers receive profit from this
agricultural activity. Unable to survive
with the agricultural activities, many men
and women of these villages engage themselves
in road construction under the government
contractors and also undertake menial work
for the security forces deployed in the
area to protect the people from the militants
and the enemy forces across the boarder.
A few of the villagers grow animals such
as cows, goats and sheep for milk, meat
and wool. It is estimated that if all the
income from different sources are put together
from the labor of men, women and children,
on an average, it does not exceed more than
Rs.1500 per month per family. This indeed
is very meager in the context of the basic
needs that have to be met in terms of food,
shelter and clothing and other needs and
eventualities of life.
FOOD
The staple food of these people is rice
which normally eaten twice a day namely
at noon and at night. Some eat Roti or Chappati
in the morning for breakfast with salted
tea (Namkeen Chai). They also eat meat of
the cow, goat, lamb and chicken if they
are available and affordable.
Critique
Poverty though existed earlier,
was intensified with the earthquake disaster
and the people of these villages are in
the grip of various geographical, social,
economic, cultural and religious backwardness,
taboos and constraints.
Development Education and a renaissance
indeed are imperative from the perspective
of human concern, compassion and development
for these people. One can be self complacent
about the relief provided to these people
after the earthquake. It is true that they
have a shelter and meager materials to survive
now and may be for few more days to come.
But assessing the resources they have and
their potential for progress, the future
is still uncertain for these people. Their
future is now very uncertain not so much
because there would be another earthquake
(which they fear) but, from the perspective
of possibilities to sustain their lives
is very difficult and hard given the difficult
terrain they live, the political uncertainties
and the impossibilities of anybody taking
a committed stand to help these people to
develop with proper education and development
incentives. Having witnessed this very critical
and crucial life situation of these people,
it would be a natural reaction for any development
agency or any person to explore the possibilities
of initiating some vital activities for
their development through which they can
become self supportive. This would mean
that a future plan of action with essential
components of education, training and infrastructure
development has to be made and much concentration
has to be given to eradicate gender discrimination
and other issues that prevent their future
development and emancipation.
FUTURE PLAN OF ACTION
1. Water and sanitation facilities for the
villages- water tank for ten families -
Water for cultivation of fruit trees that
will help them for their livelihood and
also for their daily use 8 villages. Cultivation
of vegetables, trees such as pear and apple.
2. Continuation of the training in Masonry,
carpentry, electrician, stabilizer repairing
for men and for ladies tailoring, embroidery.
Trades such as making sweets, biscuits,
pickles, juices, processing fruits any such
income generating programs for livelihood.
3. Construction of infrastructure such roads
and common toilets for villages
4. Community health training- training local
health workers for sanitation and hygiene.
5. Schools construction in 8 villages and
plans has to be made
6. Community halls 4 numbers
7. Reclamation and leveling of the land
8. Awareness train concerning hygiene, sanitation,
child health, pre-natal and post-natal care.
9. Rehabilitation of the terror victims
such as widows, children orphans and construction
of a children's home.
10. Matching grant for milch animals for
their livelihood.
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