Chargheri - Trip 2

So for another week we could make it. The feeling is like playing out a mandatory over to avoid an imminent innings defeat. This Sunday, Koustav from Pather Katha went there with Avijit, four friends from Khelaghar and Goutam of Green Camp. As usual Koaustav's Picassa and the captured videos tell it all.
This time Team Pather Katha could manage 1000 kg of rice. To save the conveyance cost, it was procured from Sonakhali, before boarding the launch. Not a very easy task, but had little option to save this transportation cost from Kolkata. There were some left-over (60 kg soyabean nuggets, around 200 kg rice, and good amount of medicine) at Chargheri (obviously at our local storeroom in Dipankar’s Launch) after last week’s distribution. Kouastav also took with him 10 vials of tetanus after getting information about the local requirement.

By the way, Can anyone suggest any Kolkata based wholesaler who is ready to supply 1000 kg or more rice every week @ Rs 12 or less a kg? That will be a big help.
One main objective of this week's visit was to collect the basic information so as to streamline our future requirements and course of action. Just jotting down what we could gather by talking with people there (courtesy Koustav and our friends from Khelaghar)

How strong is the distribution mechanism
There was a very decent queue. Separate arrangements were made for food and medicine. A clear register was maintained (we got a copy). Whenever people were coming with some specific demand like mosquito net or any special medicine, it was verified that he has not already received one. If the resource is not available it is noted down. We wanted to ensure that the mechanism we are using for distribution were unbiased. Extensive interaction was done with the people in the queue and the general feeling is they are satisfied with the mechanism

What are the villages from which people are coming

On 4th July (I just remembered what a significant day, America’s independence day and Swami Vivekanada’s death anniversary), there were people not only from Chargheri but also from nearby villages Lahiripur, Santigachi, BidhanKoloni, Porosmoni. Earlier we checked out from internet that Lahiripur and Santigachhi among the worst affected one. We had a feel that people from nearby villages are also coming to Chargheri, hen the heard about the relief distribution and only get confirmed after the verification.

How many families we have covered

Last Sunday precisely there were 666 families who collected the assistance. There were not too many requirements for medicine. Good – the general health condition is not so bad. Koustav has a good flavour for data analysis and after gathering the lists for past few weeks he prepared a nice trend analysis on how many people has been served so far in Chargherir Char by Green Camp and its associates like Pather KAtha, Khelaghar, Euphonic.

• 28th May: 565 families (distribution was done on 28th, 29th May and 1st June)
• 5th June 649 families (distribution was done on 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th June)
• 14th June 895 families (distribution was done on 14th, 16th June)
• 21st June 577 families (distribution was done on 28th, 29th May and 1st June)
• 28th June 671 families
• 5th July 666 families

Clearly when a consignment reaches there on a particular day, the distribution often spills over a few days, courtesy Dipankar and the local people who are actively doing the distribution work. But it is clear we have to be ready between 600-700 families.

Is there any help from other sources
This is a major information that was needed in order to streamline our role. After talking with people we could find, so far government has given 5 kilos of rice per family since 25th May, tarpaulin and intermittently some supply of kerosene. This is what we could gather by talking with people on that day, so do not consider it as a official figure. What worries us is the lack of steady supply of relief material. That is evident. Employment opportunities are there in the form of works for embankment repair. Government is paying through the Panchayet for engaging local people in the repair work. Still not sure how many people are getting opportunities under this. But a person can earn 900 Rs for each 1000 cfm of earthwork and this can be done in 4-5 days. May be they get 50% of this as the appointment is through contractors. But this is still equivalent to more than 20 kgs of rice. Nearesr market is Satjelia bajar – not too easy to rich without a boat. But clearly if a family has at least one person getting this work opportunity, he does not have to depend on our relief much.

“Bare” Economics of sustenance revisited
Or shall I call it mathematics of hunger? The whole calculation was done considering 500 grams per head per week. But we calculated based on urban hunger. An elderly person clearly told “babu kaj kore khete gele dine 900 gram chal lage ekek janer – er kame chalti pari na”. Just no answer. How selfish we are to reduce it to half.
So revise the calculation with 4 kgs of rice per family per week and the weekly requirement for 500 families is around 2000*13 =26,000 Rs.
Still too big an amount for long run (may be a month or more). One way may be to cut down the number of families. Those who has got some work in embankment repair can possibly be leftout. The filtering is an arduous task - but let us give it a go.

Another thing - an well wisher suggested us to contact the concerned ministry of State Government to make them aware of the situation. He was kind enough to give us all the contacts - still we are undecided on this issue. Does the Government need us to tell that people needs help? Don't know .... . If anyone has a view will love to listen.