When the people of a village in Jajpur district faced severe floods in 2006, the Disaster Mitigation Team members utilized their skill trainings to help the community members in their crisis…

Palatpur Jena Sahi village in Jajpur district of Orissa is situated near the River Birupa. It is inhabited by 30 Scheduled Caste families and the people are mainly daily wage labourers and share croppers.

LWSI took up Disaster Preparedness Project in this village in August 2005. A Disaster Mitigation Team (DMT) was formed and various skill trainings were facilitated for its members.

In 2006, the people of Palatpur Jena Sahi faced severe flood situations thrice. They lost their standing paddy crops and most of the thatched huts were washed away. The DMT members utilized their skill trainings to help the community members in their crisis. Rescue and evacuation operations were carried out, dry food and medicines were procured from the emergency fund and disbursed among the affected people.

After the floods, the people faced food insecurity and unemployment problems. The community members held meetings and wrote to LWSI requesting for intervention. LWSI staff discussed the matter with the villagers. Under a separate project, LWSI distributed groundnut seeds for cultivation. Food for Work projects were taken up to built the village link roads which were destroyed by the floods and excavate two irrigation tanks. It provided employment and food grains to the community members. The people are expecting good returns from the groundnut cultivation also. House building assistance was provided to those whose dwellings were destroyed and low cost latrines were constructed in all houses to avoid open air defecation.

This incident is a live example of how DMT members made good use of their training in time of an actual disaster.