In most of our earlier visits we barely found time to distribute the food and rush back for the return journey. This time Debajyoti da and myself snatched ourselves out of the distribution and tried to carry out a survey to assess some of the ground realities as on date.
This exercise took us to some new localities in Chargheri and Bidhan Colony. Sharing with you some snaps and videos of these places (links in red):
People working on earthwork for the bund
These people are cutting earth from the spoiled agricultural lands to build up / repair the bunds. I hope that is advisable to be done on agricultural land, and does not damage long term prospects of the productivity of this .
Hopefully we will see them cultivating alternative crops on these fields this coming winter after due training. Certainly the normal crop, rice, is set to return within 2 years. Now does this earth cutting from surface of these fields hurt any or both of those prospects? I wish I knew...
A shot of Chargheri on our way to Kakmari Bazar
[not much to add to that snap - we have earlier published a number of pix like that one]
House damaged by Aila but saved from collapse due to presence of 'konchi' (bamboo) reinforcement in mud walls
We found only two "pucca" buildings on the route from distribution point to Kakmari bazar which was close to 2 km away from distribution point (We made this journey via an unpaved and undulating dyke where walking barefoot can cause foot pain to unaccustomed feet - ask me!). None of these were residential houses. We saw evidence that water had reached above window top level in many of the intact houses. The houses that had bamboo stick (‘konchi’) reinforcement in walls managed to keep standing (even after mud was washed away) via support from the bamboo sticks. This house (in above pic) with ‘reinforced walls’ told the story clearly: in the picture we can see that the ‘konchi’s are showing up to man height with no mud around them – and ABOVE it the konchi’s are disappearing into mud still left intact.
Some of the standing houses have been repaired back with thatched roof and applying mud back on the walls. The houses that had walls of pure mud are all erased.
"Aise ujde aashiyaane tinke ud gaye"
This is how some of the occupants of those erased houses are living now.
They are literally living on the road....
The boundary point of Chargheri and Bidhan Colony
[hope that fishing net used as a fence is not the administration's brainchild while marking the boundary...]
The primary school located OUTSIDE the old bund
The old bund near this school was seriously damaged but the school would have been inundated in Aila even if the bund were intact. This primary school in Bidhan Colony is strangely outside of the main bund / dyke and it is at quite a low level as well. In other words, it was always exposed to forces of nature and tidal variations as the bund does NOT protect it.
This omission of a government primary school outside bund premise may look like a surprising flaw in layout of the bund, but we need to remember that pieces of land keep surfacing in these areas every year due to silting. It is quite possible that this school is located in a land area that surfaced AFTER construction of bund. It can (un)safely be expected that there are many such areas across these region. Hopefully the new 'Ring bund', currently under construction, will bring these buildings within the ambit of safety.
The new "Ring Bund" under construction
[This picture is taken facing the river and the old bund is behind the photographer Debu da when this picture was taken. We can see the primary school being covered by this new ring bund.
This video, shot from atop the old bund, shows the above photograph being taken and also indicates the topography near the school]
Bund damage near Kakmari bazar southside approach
[The above video, along with this snap by Debu da, bears testimony of the magnitude of nature's fury faced by these bunds on 25th May 2009. Even after nearly 3 months of restoration work the bund still looks like having been hit by a disaster in very recent past. ]
Kakmari bazar
PAKT discussing with people at Kakmari bazar
Kakmari bazar video 1
Kakmari bazar video 2
On the return journey from Kakmari to distribution point, we met Shri Girindranath Paik and Shri Ajit Kumar Biswas. Both are from Chargheri.
Girindranath Paik is a familiar face at relief distribution (he generally has something to say or some request to make). We met him on the way back and he dragged me to his house. Apparently the water logged lands seen behind the hutments in this snap are land belong to him.
Ajit Kumar Biswas' story is a little intriguing. Ajit is apparently a graduate who has not managed to get a coveted government job. He has a small piece of land and used to cultivate it before Aila. But the returns from his small piece of land were insufficent to support his young . He used to supplement his income by giving tuitions. Even Rabindranath Gayen, the respected primary school teacher of Bidhan Colony that we met during survey at Kakmari bazar, used to be his student. He is apparently well liked by people (certainly by Girindranath Paik) and also does some book keeping for shops. He wished to opt out of the area if he gets a job outside, as both his vocations have stopped now. He stays in a makeshift hutment reconstructed from his damaged mudhut. Like many other families, both he and his wife do menial labour on earthwork related to bund repair these days in order to sustain themselves.
Ajit brought me up to the fact that the dewatering of fields has taken place only at specific areasm lostly near the periphery of the island (we used to see it happen at our distribution point) but many fields in the interiors are still flooded with brackish water. The small sluice gate does not help at all as it prevents effective flushing out of the brackish water in a heavy rainfall.
Critical concern: We have requested assistance from PRISM in order to arrange for alternative crop training in fields damaged by brackish water with an aim to have some vegetables grown on these fields by this winter. We are driving to expedite this training. But the least that is required for some of these farmers we are trying to help is the stagnated brackish water to be removed from their fields. We are talking to people related to administration but we still do not know how to solve that critical first part (i.e. dewatering agricultural lands that are still under water) in our attempt to get these people back on fields.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
6th Trip to Chargheri: In pictures and videos
Links to pictures and videos are provided in chronological order:
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#5375446011467016354
[A tentative route sketch of our journey from Sonakhali to Chargheri, also indicating the major landmarks along the route - satellite pic courtesy google maps]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpzl9mLQfyA
[Video: A view of the dyke at Sonakhali 'ghat', and approach to the 'ghat']
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#5375446011467016354
[A tentative route sketch of our journey from Sonakhali to Chargheri, also indicating the major landmarks along the route - satellite pic courtesy google maps]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpzl9mLQfyA
[Video: A view of the dyke at Sonakhali 'ghat', and approach to the 'ghat']
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#5374731255912742002
[Stillpic: Our boat is seen here leaving the Sonakhali ghat after getting loaded with 480 kg of 'kochu' (arum) and 2800 kg rice. We had also taken 150 packets containing 100 gms of soyabean each, meant for each family with a child less than six years. Kaustuv and I stay back at Sonakhali to guide Bappa, the new Sumo driver of this trip, to Gadkhali where the Sumo will be parked.]
Anecdote: Qutub, the boatman, left his assistants to take care the boat and took the trip to Gadkhali with us in the car. I found him closely watching Bappa operating the gears of our Tata Sumo. When I enquired if he (Qutub) wished to learn driving a car by visual inspection, Kaustuv observed that operating a boat had criticalities like knowing exactly about the size of the whole thing and where the tail was going, especially while bringing to the shore. This was enough to open up Qutub, who declared that he could learn driving a car in 2 weeks. We nodded, politely noting that the hard part was to do it at places like Kolkata's Esplanade or Lalbazar at 11 am on a weekday.
Well versed though Qutub might be in operating a much bigger piece of mobile equipment in croc infested waters on the outskirts of tiger territory, he still does not get overtaken in narrow stretches by speeding boats simultaneously on both sides with a few millimeters as clearances....and get a few glares from the left side overtaker for not 'giving way'! Nor is Qutub used to seeing a guy suddenly put a hand up towards him (meaning "please halt"....make it "halt") and nonchalantly cross his path assuming the driver will be able to halt irrespective of speed.
Bappa did not respond to Qutub's comment, but all along the boat trip to Chargheri he too kept watching the operational aspects of Qutub's boat right up to Chargheri. Perhaps he too was finding out a way to learn boating in 15 days...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alyuKWRaSpg
[Video: Approach to the Gadkhali ferry ghat, and a glimpse of the high tide water level]
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#5374731285262063410
[Stillpic: hightide at Gadkhali]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5uQ5gKtu1c
[Video: Boat reaches Gadkhali to pick up Kaustuv and myself. It takes 20-25 minutes from Sonakhali to Gadkhali by road but the boat takes close to an hour]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseVI#5373605670229477010
[Stillpic: Dr. Susanta Bhattacharya, also called Santo da, seen here at the top deck of the boat near the sacks of arum]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseVI#5373605733636553906
[Stillpic: 2800 kg of rice loaded in our boat.
Disclaimer: the stamp of 'Pather Katha - ATMA - Khelaghar' was included in the soft file - the sack really did not have that stamp, but it is a nice illusion!!]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppmq-5As-W4
[Video: Captain Qutub gets off the boat, letting his assistants complete the balance 85% of the trip!]
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#5374731347832181714 [Stillpic: Purbasha carrying out the rice unloading operation, as is the usual practice on every visit]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZiwIo5Z2-k
[Video: Sanyasi Mandal was one of the trainees to receive Unicef training on ORT solution at Dhamakhali on the 16th of August. He describes the training as 'fruitful' here. Unfortunately the supply of solution from Unicef is yet to materialise.]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseVI#5373605807814162738
[Stillpic: This time we noticed that people arriving early had reserved their position in the queue with bags!
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#537544137897241339
[Stillpic: Rice stacked at distribution point ahead of start of distribution]
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip6PixCellcam#5374731414299539314
[Stillpic: Distribution starts, and the cards are out]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUwzkl4qV0U
[Video: Doctor (Santo da) moving to the boat in order to take stock of medicines and to flag off the medical camp]
Annoucement 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRoLTS-n01w
Annoucement 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpOC5QE2I20
Annoucement 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQBGD7Bjn7o
[Video: Kaustuv made 3 sets of annoucement with the megaphone, for which we have added links above.
Announcement 1: Kaustuv shared with the people in the queue the plans of PAKT in the coming weeks - essentially that relief will be stopped after a month;s time, and that each village needs to offer volunteers to carry forward our attempts to rehabilitate them by facilitating various trainings (e,g, training on alternative crops on saline soil, training on other alternative employent options like handicraft.)
Announcement 2: Kaustuv announces that PAKT, mainly through efforts of partner Khelaghar, will look to rehabilitate some families by placing some villagers in hotel jobs across the state.
Announcement 3: The distribution is done at 2 ends of the distribution camp. Some villages are lined up at the North end and some others at the South end. On all previous occasions we found a few cases where people had waited an hour or more at the wrong queue. Kaustuv declares the names of villages that will be covered by each queue.]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseVI#5373606290281699698
[Stillpic: Biswajit da and Kausik (my Foster Wheeler colleague who joined the team this week) carry out card checks for the 1st point of distribution]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joDVHeoe3Gk
[Video: Distribution being carried out at 1st point of distribution through card system]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseVI#5373606358093988210
[Stillpic: Kaustuv and Saptarshi (not in picture) carry out card checks for the 2nd point of distribution]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItNvl1T9MYQ
[Video: Distribution being carried out at 2nd point of distribution through card system]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkJNMIZhJ9s
[Video: Bappa sets his boating skill development aside and spontaneously joins in to help the distribution]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseVI#5373606450658531298
[Stillpic: Santo da running the medical camp on Purbasha boat. His marathon sitting would go on till past 6-30 pm]
[Pics and videos related to survey carried out on 6th visit are appended to the earlier post listing subjects attempted to be covered in that survey]
Doctor on 6th trip: Dr. Santo-da joins us
His full name is Dr. Susanta Bhattacharya. He is universally known as Santo da to people who know him, and he does not mind us calling him by that name at all.
Santo-da joined in as a friend of Debajyoti-da who wished to assist our effort. He took to the trip like the proverbial fish (or duck) did to water. He was kind enough to sit through nearly 4 hours and untiringly check all the patients (more than 100) attending this week's medical camp with various complaints. He also did some sorting work on the stocked medicines. Thanks to Santo da's contribution to the sixth trip, we are now satisfied to a degree that the medicines stocked by us so far at Chargheri during previous visits was properly distributed.
There is further scope of improvement in sorting & supplementing the medical stocks. We will need help from Debajyoti da and Santo da for it.
At a more opportune moment, I would like to put up a post exclusively on Santo da (with inputs from Debajyoti da, as I only know him for a day). Let me tell you that he is a man of many parts.
Santo-da joined in as a friend of Debajyoti-da who wished to assist our effort. He took to the trip like the proverbial fish (or duck) did to water. He was kind enough to sit through nearly 4 hours and untiringly check all the patients (more than 100) attending this week's medical camp with various complaints. He also did some sorting work on the stocked medicines. Thanks to Santo da's contribution to the sixth trip, we are now satisfied to a degree that the medicines stocked by us so far at Chargheri during previous visits was properly distributed.
There is further scope of improvement in sorting & supplementing the medical stocks. We will need help from Debajyoti da and Santo da for it.
At a more opportune moment, I would like to put up a post exclusively on Santo da (with inputs from Debajyoti da, as I only know him for a day). Let me tell you that he is a man of many parts.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Topics covered by survey carried out in 6th visit
- To assess further need for relief
- To assess if the distribution process was acceptable to people
- To assess needs of people for the coming months outside of food
- To assess impact of Aila on people’s livelihood
- To list common professions practiced in the area before Aila
- To list options available to earn a living after Aila
- To assess impact of Aila on infrastructure
- To assess receptiveness of people to alternative professions and to obtaining training for alternative earning options
UPDATE: SOME VIDEOS RELATED TO SURVEY
Debajyoti da's conversation with an earthwork labourer who used to cultivate land before Aila
"On the walk" Survey - part 1 of 5
"On the walk" Survey - Part 2 of 5
"On the walk" Survey - Part 3 of 5
"On the walk" Survey - Part 4 of 5
"On the walk" Survey - Part 5 of 5
6th visit: Food distribution and survey
PAKT completed the 6th trip to Chargheri last Saturday (22nd August). We distributed 1 kg of rice per head for a fortnight to the selected families of the 5 villages. We also distributed 100 gms of soyabeans to families having children aged less than six years. Like previous (5th) visit, we again provided a piece of arum (kochu) to each of these families.
In addition to distributing food during this visit, we also carried out a survey on a few pre-identified issues related to PAKT activity at Chargheri-Bidhan Colony-Santgachhi-Porosmoni-Lahiripur.
Purpose of survey:
(a) Assessing the effectiveness of our past effort at providing relief and
(b) Carrying out some ground work for the future months in which we intend to withdraw food relief but assist these people in more specific ways to get started at rehabilitating themselves, as far as our (significant) limitations permit.
The sample of people selected was not enough considering the short period (3 hours) we got to carry it out, but we believe we still get a representative assessment.
Summary of findings
The survey does not throw up any dramatic findings as such, and generally supports the expected. For last 2 visits we have been letting people know that we intend to withdraw food relief from end of September. This time we again announced the same at the distribution and also tried to spread the word individually during the survey. It was heartening to find that most people were supporting us to withdraw relief in the near future and instead assist them to get back to earning their own living if possible.
The subjects of survey and its outcomes are compiled into a detailed survey report. We are ready to share it with anyone willing to go through that detailed report.
Volunteers
Before distribution we put forward an important request to each of the 5 villages to facilitate implementing our future plans for these people: we requested that some of their villagers must now come forward and enlist themselves as volunteers for their respective villages. This is essential to provide smooth knowledge transfer via various vocational / self-employment trainings we intend to provide to people of these villages in coming months.
The volunteers are intended to be the direct link between the experts providing the training (PRISM / other NGO's / other sources) and the villagers that intend to implement this training for self-benefit, without any 3rd party bottleneck formation. [For example, we will endeavour to push and get each of these programs started the first time, but if subsequent communication keeps happening through us who visit so sporadically then we can become bottleneck instead of facilitator]
Update: The picture-cum-video story of the 6th visit is overdue. Apologies to all for inadvertent delay. We request you to check up on the snaps of 6th visit at the Picasa sites of Kaustuv and myself....while we put together something to take you to the live action of 6th trip.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Our distribution spot at Chargheri
The above top-view sketch of the distribution area at Chargheri can help provide you with a mental image of the location to you, in case you have not already visited this place with us. [Click on the image for a larger view]
Now we will try to show you the exact location of this point in the map of Sunderbans.
You may have noticed a snapshot of a map extract of Sunderbans on our main page which shows our action area in Satjelia.
Satjelia is a big island with a number of villages and village panchayats, and we cover only a part of the Lahiripur gram (village) panchayat for our distribution. A village panchayat consists of many hamlets and is generally named after one of them. Santigachi, Parashmoni and Bidhan Colony are such hamlets, as is Lahiripur itself; but the locals refer to the hamlets as 'villages' and so do we. Chargheri is actually a mouza (part of Lahiripur panchayat), consisting of a few other such hamlets.
I tried to find the distribution spot on Google maps with the help of Wikimapia and here's the best result that I could find. We have asked Dipankar for a river map that will help identify the route to Chargheri with more clarity. But we reckon that entire yellow coloured area in the link (as we see it today) is the Satjelia island. The administrative structure of the area has more than one gram panchayats. There is a Satjelia gram panchayat as well. That panchayat presumably covers the top of that island (North part). Our action area is the South eastern part of Satjelia island area, which is part of Lahiripur gram panchayat.
I took a screenshot of that area and tried to highlight the exact location where we distribute at Chargheri. As you see in that screenshot, the probable exact location is under a piece of cloud that obstructed the satellite picture!!
The river on the east (right side) of distribution point is Ganral River, the same river you see in almost all pictures of us arriving at Chargheri or departing from there.
Satjelia is a big island with a number of villages and village panchayats, and we cover only a part of the Lahiripur gram (village) panchayat for our distribution. A village panchayat consists of many hamlets and is generally named after one of them. Santigachi, Parashmoni and Bidhan Colony are such hamlets, as is Lahiripur itself; but the locals refer to the hamlets as 'villages' and so do we. Chargheri is actually a mouza (part of Lahiripur panchayat), consisting of a few other such hamlets.
I tried to find the distribution spot on Google maps with the help of Wikimapia and here's the best result that I could find. We have asked Dipankar for a river map that will help identify the route to Chargheri with more clarity. But we reckon that entire yellow coloured area in the link (as we see it today) is the Satjelia island. The administrative structure of the area has more than one gram panchayats. There is a Satjelia gram panchayat as well. That panchayat presumably covers the top of that island (North part). Our action area is the South eastern part of Satjelia island area, which is part of Lahiripur gram panchayat.
I took a screenshot of that area and tried to highlight the exact location where we distribute at Chargheri. As you see in that screenshot, the probable exact location is under a piece of cloud that obstructed the satellite picture!!
The river on the east (right side) of distribution point is Ganral River, the same river you see in almost all pictures of us arriving at Chargheri or departing from there.
UPDATE: This pic from the 6th trip shows the above distribution area along with the central shed as well as the 2 queues on either side [pic taken looking east from western side of temporary ditch]. We are beginning to depend a lot on Debajyoti da's pix to share information more effectively with you.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The 5th trip: in pictures and videos
Visuals are sequenced in chronological order:
1) Journey to Satjelia-Chargheri:
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765359990764562 A typical sight at Sonakhali: materials being loaded for transportation across / along the river
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrJr_uw_UJ0
Video: This is a mid-river view of the dyke repair work going on near Sonakhali.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlNCPmnXxZo
Video: Kochu (Arum) was also included for distribution on 5th trip. It is a low cost food item, with no side effects envisaged.
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765400903491234 Snapshot of 'kochu' sacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lbKDomS7s4
Video: As usual, we took 54 bags of rice, totalling to 2700 kg (to be distributed with 200 kg stock remaining at Chargheri from previous distribution)
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765479445006578 Young Sharafat's arkwork on his papa's boat
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765620644867394 Another illustration on the same boat (surely not by Sharafat)....
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066036532608194 On the route, we went past villages where some women were busy catching fish & prawns on the riverside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNWOVIiNyY
Video: A patch with such dense cover of vegetation in deep water is a rare sight even in the Sunderbans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nPiY1GkAQ4
Video: The team making the 5th visit (putting faces to names)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyFP4cS9y48
Video: We kept dropping time along the way today, and arrived at Chargheri close to 3pm - more than an hour later than last time. Combined with shifting diurnal tide change time, this meant water had already receded significantly by the time we came.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNqU_auz9YE
Video: We explore the tidal entry route, and then go back into the river for an entry from the low tide muddy route. This meant significant time delay in transporting goods to distribution point
[For a contrast, view the video link of tidal entry for 4th trip Chargheri arrival at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8mpRdEENds]
2) The distribution at Chargheri
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066315688151474 Arrival at Chargheri: A nice shot courtesy Debajyoti da. You can see the boat in the distance - it stayed there for unloading for another hour and consequently got stuck as water receded further. While returning back after distribution, we reached the boat at 7-15pm and waited on it till 8-30pm (with no ray of light except 2 battery torches) so that the tide returned and boat could float again....The far side of the river is starting point of the wilderness ruled by the Bengal Tiger
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765762180314594 Avijit feeling his way through the mud on his second visit
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDYm9WyWpWk]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066358767559314 Transporting the stuff to the distribution point is a tough affair in low tide. It was unloaded from our larger motor boat into this Purbasha boat. Then this boat had to be physically pushed through the mud to the bank.....
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066390712696098
....and only then could the stuff get unloaded for distribution. High tide is preferable any day.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066411330359666 http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765829391073778 Felicitation: It was a little embarassing for us that they insisted in felicitating us under a shed in front of the multitude waiting under the sun for hours to collect their rightful share of bare minimum food. But in any case the materials were taking a long time to be carried from our boat to distribution point due to the low tide, and we thought the schedule of distribution could not get any further delayed by accepting the sentimental requests from the local people (mainly Purbasha) to felicitate us with garlands and sweets. It was a brief affair in any case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPu-OIYv7Ns
Video: The 2 distribution points at either end of the temporary distrubution shed. As highlighted earlier, 2 points of distribution are necessary for quicker disposal of material to the waiting people
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765998229130066 Another view of the 2 queues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5wEt_eTDrg
Video: Dipankar arranged for some microphones to communicate essentials of the distribution (2 queues, materials getting distributed, next distribution after 2 weeks etc) to the people in queue
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066666369542226 Card based distribution for Lahiripur, Bidhan colony, Santigachi and Porosmoni
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765958943282498 This is the other point of distribution, where Santanu, Debajyoti da, Angshuman (myself) and Mahender were distributing....[note: I did not remove the garland presented to me at the felicitation by a little kid hardly a couple of years older than my daughter]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066747266766658 Dipankar distributing essential medicines, assisted by Debajyoti da
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066530961034162 Ticking off the cards after handing over requisite quota of material
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765870942328242 Distribution was finally over at dusk
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765911022372226 http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765930890800322 Our turn to play rice sacks: The Chargheri volunteers load us on a boat and push us through the mud into the river where our boat is stuck on the river bed
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765934413460946 Purbasha volunteers and the boatmen ask to get snapped as we board back into our boat for return journey to Gadkhali
1) Journey to Satjelia-Chargheri:
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765359990764562 A typical sight at Sonakhali: materials being loaded for transportation across / along the river
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrJr_uw_UJ0
Video: This is a mid-river view of the dyke repair work going on near Sonakhali.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlNCPmnXxZo
Video: Kochu (Arum) was also included for distribution on 5th trip. It is a low cost food item, with no side effects envisaged.
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765400903491234 Snapshot of 'kochu' sacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lbKDomS7s4
Video: As usual, we took 54 bags of rice, totalling to 2700 kg (to be distributed with 200 kg stock remaining at Chargheri from previous distribution)
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765479445006578 Young Sharafat's arkwork on his papa's boat
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765620644867394 Another illustration on the same boat (surely not by Sharafat)....
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066036532608194 On the route, we went past villages where some women were busy catching fish & prawns on the riverside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNWOVIiNyY
Video: A patch with such dense cover of vegetation in deep water is a rare sight even in the Sunderbans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nPiY1GkAQ4
Video: The team making the 5th visit (putting faces to names)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyFP4cS9y48
Video: We kept dropping time along the way today, and arrived at Chargheri close to 3pm - more than an hour later than last time. Combined with shifting diurnal tide change time, this meant water had already receded significantly by the time we came.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNqU_auz9YE
Video: We explore the tidal entry route, and then go back into the river for an entry from the low tide muddy route. This meant significant time delay in transporting goods to distribution point
[For a contrast, view the video link of tidal entry for 4th trip Chargheri arrival at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8mpRdEENds]
2) The distribution at Chargheri
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066315688151474 Arrival at Chargheri: A nice shot courtesy Debajyoti da. You can see the boat in the distance - it stayed there for unloading for another hour and consequently got stuck as water receded further. While returning back after distribution, we reached the boat at 7-15pm and waited on it till 8-30pm (with no ray of light except 2 battery torches) so that the tide returned and boat could float again....The far side of the river is starting point of the wilderness ruled by the Bengal Tiger
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765762180314594 Avijit feeling his way through the mud on his second visit
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDYm9WyWpWk]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066358767559314 Transporting the stuff to the distribution point is a tough affair in low tide. It was unloaded from our larger motor boat into this Purbasha boat. Then this boat had to be physically pushed through the mud to the bank.....
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066390712696098
....and only then could the stuff get unloaded for distribution. High tide is preferable any day.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066411330359666 http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765829391073778 Felicitation: It was a little embarassing for us that they insisted in felicitating us under a shed in front of the multitude waiting under the sun for hours to collect their rightful share of bare minimum food. But in any case the materials were taking a long time to be carried from our boat to distribution point due to the low tide, and we thought the schedule of distribution could not get any further delayed by accepting the sentimental requests from the local people (mainly Purbasha) to felicitate us with garlands and sweets. It was a brief affair in any case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPu-OIYv7Ns
Video: The 2 distribution points at either end of the temporary distrubution shed. As highlighted earlier, 2 points of distribution are necessary for quicker disposal of material to the waiting people
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765998229130066 Another view of the 2 queues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5wEt_eTDrg
Video: Dipankar arranged for some microphones to communicate essentials of the distribution (2 queues, materials getting distributed, next distribution after 2 weeks etc) to the people in queue
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066666369542226 Card based distribution for Lahiripur, Bidhan colony, Santigachi and Porosmoni
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765958943282498 This is the other point of distribution, where Santanu, Debajyoti da, Angshuman (myself) and Mahender were distributing....[note: I did not remove the garland presented to me at the felicitation by a little kid hardly a couple of years older than my daughter]
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066747266766658 Dipankar distributing essential medicines, assisted by Debajyoti da
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaustuvlive/SunderbanAilaReliefWorkPhaseV#5368066530961034162 Ticking off the cards after handing over requisite quota of material
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765870942328242 Distribution was finally over at dusk
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765911022372226 http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765930890800322 Our turn to play rice sacks: The Chargheri volunteers load us on a boat and push us through the mud into the river where our boat is stuck on the river bed
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip5PixCellcam#5368765934413460946 Purbasha volunteers and the boatmen ask to get snapped as we board back into our boat for return journey to Gadkhali
Sunday, August 9, 2009
HIGH FIVE
Fifth Mission
The fifth mission is completed – at 3 am of night. We have a fabulous trip this time - reached during ebb tide and had to wade through more than a km of sticky mud to reach chargheri, our launch got stuck in mud during low tide and delayed our return journey by almost 2 hours, we had a scaring car journey from Godkhali to Kolkata in torrential rain with visibility less than 15 m, our people back home were too worried. But we are very satisfied. We could distribute almost 2500 kg of rice among 671 families in our list (total 721) in little over three hours. Our card system worked fine. Indeed there were some complaints like someone's child is not ocunted in card or one or family members will be one more. We asked all to take their grievances to our local volunteers from Purbasha. But if anyone with a child in his/her lap complained about missing a child's count in card, he/she was obliged with a milk packet even if the it is not marked in card. This time with 1 kg of rice per head (for two weeks), we also distributed one Arum (kachu) per family and powdered milk for families who has children of age between 1 to 6 years. The Arum received good response from the vilalgers. We went to Chargheri this time with 2700 kgs of rice, 440 kgs of arum, 185 milk powder packets (full courtesy to our Khelaghar friends) and medicine worth Rs 3000. We mainly gathered medicine for common problems like worms, skin problems, stomach troubles, but a doctor remains ever elusive – we need a doctor who can help the villagers with right medicine.
Will any young doc volunteer ?
Are we missing out some?
we have finished our distribution and suddenly found a few anxious faces from the Parashmani village. They didn’t featured in the list, and despite our requests, that we cannot accommodate anyone outside the list, they waited all day. Their look says clearly they are real needy but it’s a dilemma. If we start accommodating people outside our list, again the old problem will come back, we cannot handle the whole Chargheri arew. Somewhere we have to stop, but it is tough to ignore people's hunger.
In such helpless situation the old question comes back in mind: what the Government is doing?? Why they are not still taking a proactive role? We cannot satisfy the whole Sunderbans.
Felicitation
Purbasha, the Eco-tourism group of Chargheri, responsible for setting up the local volunteer team for distribution of our relief material, with the villagers, arranged for a felicitation of PAKT members. Extremely embarrassing for us. We put all kind of resitance, logic etc etc. , but finally has to succumb to their sentimental requests. It is a simple and touching function - all of us were garlanded by local people and sweets were offered. We briefly explained about our future plan to continue at least till September end and mentioned about all the supports we are recieving from the friends of PAKT, who are not physically present there but providing us resources.
Back to life?
We heard a mike blaring out in Chargheri and came to know that the contractor engaged in temporary repair of embankment is organising a Kali puja, to celebrate the success of finally preventing the water from entering the village. When waiting in our mud stuck launch – we heard from far, a little sweet voice reciting “mone kore jeno bidesh ghure ‘ – then a folk song on Aila (I could hear a line”henokale Aila elo”). Cultural program on the occasion of the Kali Puja. So people of the village are coming back to life slowly. We salute this spirit and that is why we want to help these people. But some assistance remains illusive. We heard that the local Panchayat member Mr Mandal has assured that the Rs 10,000/- assistance from Government for reconstruction of houses will reach before the pujas. Still no sign of that! We can just hope that the government will take care of their need for a home before the pujas.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Planning for PHASE V
Revised List Ready
We sat with Dipankar today evening. Dipankar came down from Chargheri with the updated list for our distribution. Now the number of families are 721. As we told that quite a number of cards are damaged last week and also some people were found to be missed out, we have decided to issue a new set of card based on these revised list. Surely it’s a headache for us now to print the cards in Bengali and put them in some kind of card holder. But we can solve it.
Cost cutting:
Good news, we have been successful in reducing the cost of our expenditure for hiring the boat (Sonakhali to Chargheri and back). It is now Rs 2300 per trip now. After some discussion, Purbasha, thelocal volunteer group working with us has agreed to share Rs 500 per trip and a boat owner has agreed to reduce the rent to Rs 1800/- per trip. So we save Rs 1000 per trip. Next was rice. We started at Rs 12.50 per kg, but last two week the rice sellers at Basanti did not buzz a paisa from 13.50. No Dipamkar come u with a good idea to procure directly from the people who prduces rice in the mill – not from the wholeseller. This may give a price reduction we are looking for. He will confirm the possibility by next Wednesday. A ray of hope – a savings of Rs 1 a kg will save Rs 1400 per week, almost 100 kg rice. Good bargaining.
Additional Supply
During our third visit as soon as I got down from the boat, a villager very politely asked, " any vegetable this time?" I was too embarrassed to say no, could just manage to mumble "no, we are concentrating on rice only". But we vowed if possible sometimes we will try to give them some vegetable, they almost forgot the taste. Considering cost and local people’s liking, Arum (simple kachu) was selected. It will cost us Rs 900 to provide each family with one Arum. Just the amount we saved from boat. We are really feeling happy. Also there is a need of some 10 pieces of polythene sheet to provide sheds for tuition classes for the students . With almost half empty stomach, people are still thinking about education. Again, it is a mutually beneficial effort for both student and teacher . So we immediately decided to supply this next week. The cost may be something like 2500 Rs. But we will spare it. Dipankar has also brought a list of medicine,
Ground reality
Again we try to assess from Dipankar how people are maanging. We know what we are giving is less than bare minimum. We came to know the help earlier coming in that area from different benevolent organisations has almost stopped. Their only supply line is our weekly assistance and that from Forest department. Yes, the forest department is supplying 1 kg of rice per week per family and 200 gm pulses. The distribution is done from local ADC (? Will try to know about it) office. So government is doing something, but far less than the required. Some people are working on temporary embankment rehabilitation and earning some amount. To buy essentials.
So planning is complete, waiting for the mission next week.
Informative videos on Chargheri 4th trip
Please find in this post some youtube video links of the 4th Chargheri visit videos uploaded on youtube (chronologically sequenced below - links given in red font).
Many of these videos are 'annotated'. In other words, texts explaining specifics now appear in the video at relevant points, and automatic pauses have been also provided in the videos as suitable so as to let you read the information on offer. The annotation has been done with the aim of explaining the contents of these videos better, as well as to try and take the viewer close to the scene of action.
-------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxiWYa4QAQo
(En route videos showing that high tide water level in Sunderbans area generally exceeds ground level inside the dykes)
-------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8mpRdEENds
(Our boat is poised to enter, through a breached dyke of Chargheri, into an area that used to be agricultural land till 28th May)
------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiHPq66ieXQ
(Our boat sails through earstwhile Chargheri farmland that is now lost to the river due to dyke breach during Aila)
------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1esm5GEhTs
(View of Broken dykes)
------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PCx4KF2pRw
(Another video of land areas lost to the river)
-----------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inFZdsLGV6s
(Dewatering pumps on dyke)
----------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTrQ_1L0m4Y
(Location of lowtide access to Chargheri from the river bed - now inundated due to hightide)
----------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYG9IEtMBTM
(New dyke under construction)
-------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XhDW1PJVY
(Implementation of distribution through cards)
---------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hH7zCNIrXw
(Saptarshi on the job)
----------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws2kYxcGtCI
(Interview with local old woman)
--------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4sSoexsFJs
(Dipankar pushing injection - and apathy of some local people to cleanliness)
-----------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwPuiEecni0
(Return to the boat in heavy rain - and a remote view of banks of Chargheri at dusk as we walk deep into river bed in the lowtide to get back to boat)
---------------------------
These links were already provided in the previous blog posts on 4th visit. However the annotations added to these videos over the past few days will hopefully serve to speak out on the situation at Chargheri as we see it, and on the distribution process that we have implemented. We believe you will find these video more informative after the annotations.
It will be gratifying if supporters of Sunderban cyclone relief activities (of any kind - HSI or otherwise) and other interested netizens can have a look at these videos. Request our friends to forward this post / these links to any other persons / organisations you know who may be interested in supporting cyclone affected people in Sunderbans.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Focus on next week's visit (5th trip, 8th August)
As we have shared earlier, we are intent on saving conveyance costs by cutting down on number of visits. In other words, distributing for two weeks in one visit.
In line with that, last week we had distributed rice to the people of the five villages for two weeks (i.e., 2 x 500 gms = 1 Kg/head for 2 weeks). This gives us a spare weekend, as also a fine scope to plan the details and logistics for our next visit including assessment of our fund situations.
Dipankar is likely to join us in the evening today with an updated list of families. During that meeting we plan to discuss and look into other observations and requirements that we noted down during last visit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
