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#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]