Still a Lot is Needed

Many times we repeated in our blogs that certain constructive initiatives by the administration could have made things lot easier. The basic two initatives we urged several times are:
i) Pumping out saline water from the low lying agricultural lands
ii) Disbursement of the government approved amount for the reconstruction of the destroyed houses.
The same view is echoed by a newspaper report, Aila survivors stare at winter without relief in The Telegraph.
The report is based on an area other than Chargheri, in the Sunderbans, but this is a general picture. This is exactly why we had to take up the agricultural training program in Chargheri in a more elaborate way than initially planned. Only aim is to show the villagers a ray of hope that some agriculture is possible here – they can find some livelihood.
But a lot more is to be done to bring them back to their normal agriculture based life.
Any advise, assitance and direct participation will be a big help for us.

8th trip: pics and videos

Chargheri 8th Trip dated 19th-Sep-09:
[Pictures and videos in chronological order - links to videos / pics are given in red & grey]

You can find some quite interesting videos of conversations and narrations related to agriculture in the links below. It was quite enlightening for me to be part of these communications as a videographer and I hope it will be the same for people interested in agricultural methods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKS8g0wv13k
[Video: Breakfast at Malancha, where "parathas" are torn and sold by weight. We have taken our breakfast at this shop on the way to Sonakhali for 7 of the last 8 trips.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf2DPKYIbDo
[Video: As soon as we get on the boat we see a sudden weather change. There is a heavy downpour. Fortunately it did not continue for long. The weather held up for the rest of the day and it helped us walk on the earthen paths inside Chargheri in much easier fashion than we would have done if the earth would have become slippery from rains. ]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291640834629090 [Stillpic: Some of the PAKT team members who made the 8th trip - Sudipto, Kaustuv, Angshuman and Saptarshi (L to R). Debajyoti da took the pic, while Sandeepan is missing from the scene]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291631790948386
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291615197655650
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291620322757554
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288255170330882
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288275125587282
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288300346880450
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288325038137010
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291606837661026
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288379373015362 [Stillpix: The stills in above links were taken on the boat. They show the various charts that the villagers have prepared under guidance of Trainers Narayan Bachar and Anjana Mandal from Swanirvar. The next training will have more such charts, especially the "Sampad" or land resource map, being produced for the other villages. Some charts will be common.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvbAgFuT2lw
[Video: This video shows how the locals use the slippery mud to drag their boats from the dyke walls to the river which moves far away during low tide. This is how we are often loaded on a boat and hauled near our main boat by these villagers at departure time when it gets dark.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBYfMZkaXYE
[Video: People are queuing up near the distribution spot for the final phase of food distribution by PAKT to identified families of Chargheri, Santigachhi, Bidhan Colony, Lahiripur & Poroshmoni.]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288437409263602
http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291602272016818 [Stillpic: Snaps of the same distribution point]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngFClG5MAUI
[Video: A few of the villagers, such as the family in this video, have been smart and already started using traditional knowledge of alternative backyard farming methods to maximise vegetable yields. We can see both cultivation on elevated ridges as well as trellis (machan) farming being practised by this family.

However the percentage of people trying out the trellis method / sack method / ridge & trough method cultivation to grow vegetables is still woefully less. We hope the alternative agricultural training will help drive more people towards having backyards like this and thereby capitalise on what they have got.]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291559845733186 [Stillpic: Trellis farming at the entrance gate of that family's home]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTaxruOdv6U
[Video: This backyard was used as a practical demonstration of the various alternative farming methods that the trainers advised local farmers to take up in order to maximise the vegetable yields in coming winter season to satisfy food requirements of their own families. Mr Bachar explains the various methods to PAKT.

Most of these techniques may not be as effective in the main farmlands which too low to use draining methods and hence are still covered with salinity. Rice yield may not be possible in the main farmlands with many of these techniques. But these can be highly effective in the backyards of their homes which are naturally at more elevated lands. Most of the people have a significant plot of land attached to their now damaged homes where these techniques can produce enough yields for self-sufficency of vegetables.

Sack method is useful to people who have less backyard land. It maximises production of suitable vegetables while minimising land space on ground. The vegetable shoots growing from all faces of the sacks - top as well as sides - can be guided on to a trellis (machan) to allow the vegetables to grow on the trellis.

A set of beds was also prepared to create a nursery for growing seedlings 'offline' and then transfer to people's backyards.]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291583741902162 [Stillpic: Close up snap of a typical sack, showing growth of seedlings in it]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX2ZjukZVAg
[Video: Narayan Bachar, one of our trainers, explains the details of the sack method and 'philosophy' of selection of seeds for that method. The villagers are also being taught to prepare compost on their own from natural wastes, as also preparation of base material for vermicompost (compost with earthworms) which will be complete when they add necessary breed of earthworm to the base material.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmo18YjYfsE
[Video: This video shows that the trainers had planted 5 strands of 7 different varieties of rice in the salt affected farmlands. This has been done 2 weeks back at 2 separate villages - one at Chargheri (seen here) and the other at Poroshmoni. If some of the strands can grow even in that salty-water-salty-soil situation, then these varieties can be tried out in coming days with the hope that at least some fields can get a crop (They have a rice crop sowing season coming up in January 2010).

We can also see how some of the seeds of various vegetables, sown / scattered around the backyard a few weeks back, are all growing up with or without care being taken. The hay spread at the base of the seedlings not only helps loss of moisture so important to the tender plants, but also prevents salt from coming to the surface and affecting the plant (this generally is abetted by drying of moisture).]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMrgf-U4v7s
[Video: Trainers show us examples how the soil in the backyards of local farmers is extremely supportive of vegetation even at this stage.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv7b3btZAXI
[Video: PAKT & the trainers visit a few households that have developed their backyard vegetable farming as per advice provided by the trainers]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p7iR64PfWI
[Video: Sandeepan of PAKT, supported by the trainers, communicates to the trainees that each of them need to teach at least 3 other farmers in the coming weeks. They need to transmit the advanced knowledge gained on alternative methods to other farmers so that all can adopt these techniques to the fullest in their backyards over the coming winter season for self-sufficiency on vegetables.]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385291648465382386 [Stillpic: Agricultural trainers explaining the purpose of training program to the attendees of the introductory session to 3rd agricultural training program]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aylNungbdts
[Video: Sandeepan and the trainers explain PAKT's long term objective of providing the training on alternative vegetable growth techniques to as many villagers as possible.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9HjP6dFQPY
[Video: Trainers utilise the introductory session to brief farmer families on what they stand to learn (or re-learn) from the training in next 2 days.

They touch upon the topics like how to choose suitable vegetables to be grown in saline conditions, how to beat the prevailing saline conditions, how to apply natural fertilisers like cowdung & compost in backyards, how to protect saplings from drying up of soil & salt effect by covering beds with hay, how seeds can be implanted on land unsuitable for tilling by simple scattering method (instead of sowing) and supported / protected by cowdung water. These topics will be covered in more detail in the next 2 days of training.

Mr. Bachar also briefs people how it is beneficial for everyone to use natural fertilisers like cowdung. Cowdung, when used as fertiliser, causes no harm to humans consuming the vegetables (unlike chemical fertilisers) but also doubles up as a natural pest repellant as well as anti-saline agent.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AGiqlph6BM
[Video: Trainers explain how pest repulsion can be done at no extra cost by sprinkling cowdung water and also spice grinding water ("moshla bata jol") on the seedlings.

Mr. Bachar explains using common sense and traditional methods to beat the present saline conditions. He also cites others to follow the example of those farmers who had already explored such techniques (with or without advice from trainers). These people already have vegetables growing in their backyards, and others can also see the same in their backyards if they start putting in the effort employing the right methods.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaIBkAHJowE
[Video: The statements made by the trainers are spontaneously supported by a local trainee, Alok Mondal. Alok is a farmer from Posroshmoni who received training in earlier programs by the trainers (he can be seen taking down notes in videos of 1st program).

Alok reiterates that the training helps fine tune the agricultural knowledge that the locals already have. Alok opines that after knowing the specific methods, people will be able to adapt with the present saline conditions better and use these new techniques (including producing natural fertilisers and pesticides on their own) to their own benefit. He states the essential aim of this training by PAKT - they know what to do with various crops / vegetables, and the training aims to help the locals adopt the best way to do it.

Mr. Dhiren Mandal, father of Dipankar, also reiterates that the the locals stand to cut down on expenses substantially if they can at least grow their own vegetables instead of having to buy it at extremely high prices from the market.]



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjSnGprHFZ8
[Video: PAKT has an informal chat with local farmers. They explain some techniques that are proving successful at their backyards. PAKT highlights the need to spread knowledge of ALL newly learnt methods (whether by self-experimentation or by training arranged by PAKT) to others in their neighbourhood.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYWpXOk1MhY
[Video: Mrs Anjana Mandal re-explains the invaluable potential of cowdung as a natural and freely available material with three-in-one utility for farmers in farm as well as in household work: fertiliser, pest / micro-organism repellant as well as protection from salinity.]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvBhhkeHQa4
[Video: As the trainers explain how this particular backyard could be (and can still be) made lush with agricutural products INCLUDING rice. Here we can see that stray rice seeds that were washed out by Aila waters from the homes into these open backyards have taken root without any effort from the land owner. With some effort, this significantly large backyard could have yielded an assortment of agricultural products by now.

However the land owner was so far sceptic in taking up any agriculture work after Aila - a mental block that many other farmers have fallen victim to. They also narrate how the rich growth in each strand also prove the need to adopt some optimum scientific spacing for crops (varying from conventional techniques) have proven to give much higher crop yields per unit area.

As far as I learnt from Narayan-da, conventionally the farmers place a few rice strands every 6 inches while SRT (expands to Superior Rice Technique or something like that) advises placing a single strand and also increasing the spacing by almost 3 times. It is apparently proven by results all around that each strand produces many times more than the conventionally placed strands and overall yield per area is increased. However farmers need to be urged to adopt it for the first time. Some of them find it hard to get over the fear of getting low yield.]


http://picasaweb.google.com/angshu2909/ChargheriTrip8PixCellcam#5385288452184719490 [Stillpic: A traditional lantern dimly lights up the top deck of boat during our return journey]

PAKT banner

We have been asked a common question by some of the readers of these blogposts: "Is it you or Purbasha doing this relief work?" Some of the queries are from contributors to PAKT effort. When we tried to look for the reasons behind this common query, we found that most of the people in our video interviews referred to 'Purbasha' the eco-tourism group as the organisation that distributes relief to them. They do not seem to be well aware of PAKT's contribution to the relief they get, perhaps because they 'see' only Purbasha at the distribution point. Even the pictures we share show banners of Purbasha.

Till date we (PAKT) have not put up any banner during our activities at Chargheri. Purbasha is a local eco-tourism group that was already known to the locals before Aila happened. Now in this post-Aila phase, Purbasha are not only playing a 'visible' role in the final step of distributing the relief after our boat reaches Chargheri, they also put up their banner at each of the distributions. As a result the general impression that comes out to commoners is that 'a group of people from Kolkata' are coming regularly and Purbasha is doing this with their support. The name PAKT is not known to many people.

Why have PAKT not put up their own banner? The answer is simple. We never had any intention to put up photos of our banner and let people see those. Trying to publicise the PAKT name is something that we never intended to do. We are not 'regular's or NGO's. PAKT was formed only to carry out this effort. Yes, we do try to publicise this relief & rehabilitation work going on at Chargheri through the net and email communications. But it is done solely to bring in more help for the people we are supporting. Publicising the name under which this work is being done is the last thing on our minds.

The principal reason for sharing the pictures and videos was to update our contributors about our activities. We owe it to them that they learn in detail where there money is going. Another purpose of bringing the videos & snaps up on the net is to demonstrate the need to support people in the area we have chosen. The PAKT group at Kolkata felt that presence or absence of PAKT's banner did not have much to add or take away from the purpose of PAKT.

PAKT had no objections to Purbasha putting up their banner and publicising their participation in this welfare activity. They were our local facilitators and were also contributing to the effort. They too are providing the support to their village folk as a welfare job. Besides mobilising their own people at Chargheri to handle huge foodstocks on every visit, Purbasha's contribution also includes meeting us at Kolkata in between visits to chalk out way ahead, distribution of cards, passing important information to locals and such other supporting work. If they wanted to put a banner up for that participation, we did not see much harm in that.

However the 'invisibility' of PAKT at distribution activities, essentially our unwillingness to announce ourselves, has resulted in a lack of awareness of people about the name 'PAKT'. PAKT's contribution is well known amongst people though. We can assure you that the people there know each one of us in PAKT very well. It is just that they are not particularly aware that our collective name is PAKT. They visualise us as "the Kolkata guys that bring in the stuff for Purbasha". We really did not care about it as long as the job is getting done.

Now we know that this invisibility of PAKT is a reason of concern and query for our contributors and supporters. We will take full heed of that concern. We will strive to make more people aware of the critical role of PAKT in the activities being taken up. This will start right away from the coming visit to Chargheri on 5th September. Purbasha have also offered to spread the word on the leading role played by PAKT in the welfare activities that are reaching them.

A banner is expected to help spread the name of PAKT amongst the people we are supporting. Hence we shall have a banner pretty soon!

Update: Here's the banner. It was displayed in the distribution venue durng seventh visit. This snap is clicked there. The role of PAKT was also announced to the people who collect assistance from us.

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

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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1esm5GEhTs

(View of Broken dykes)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PCx4KF2pRw

(Another video of land areas lost to the river)

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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)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XhDW1PJVY

(Implementation of distribution through cards)

---------------------------------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hH7zCNIrXw

(Saptarshi on the job)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws2kYxcGtCI

(Interview with local old woman)

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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.

Thank You! We know you are with us

Some of our wellwishers have already responded to our request for support. A few of them have also requested other people they know for extending support. And we have got positive responses from those quarters too.

A few have offered to help HSI (Help Sunderbans Initiative) financially. Others have contributed by extending our call of help to reach more people. There are those who have also offered to come with us to help the distribution.

We sincerely hope that this post gets read by anyone who has extended, or wishes to extend, his / her hand in one capacity or the other towards the people of Sunderbans who brought us all together.

All we can say now to all of you is:

We are encouraged, inspired and energised by your spontaneous responses. We are banking on you to see this through. All we require now is the message of need to help the affected people to spread as wide as it can. We are some way into the journey, but we have a long way to go. And we will need the support to keep coming in all the time.

We are visiting Chargheri tomorrow (actually today). This time we plan to distribute food materials for 2 weeks. It will not be easy at all. Everything except the number of people will be double. It will be a challenge to complete it all before dusk.

But then this saves us about 4500 bucks per fortnight by way of cutting the transport expense into half.

We need you

Aila is a tropical cyclonic storm, formed due to severe depression over the Bay of Bengal, near coastal Bengal. It hit West Bengal and Orissa as well as Bangladesh on 25th May, 2009. The severe storm with tidal waves, caused by winds of speed up to 110 kilometers per hour, continued to play havoc till the evening of 26th, from coastal Sunderbans to the Hills in the Darjeeling, causing widespread damage to human life and property and left millions of people homeless.

According to Government sources the total loss is 1300 crores of Rs. and assessment report of damage is as follows:

Affected people : 67 lakhs
Loss of life : 137
Most affected area : North and South 24 Parganas, specially in the Sunderbans
Houses destroyed: : Almost 9 lakh semi permanent
houses. Till middle of June, 3.78 laks of people were in shelters of 765 relief camps
Severe damages : 500 kms of earthen dyke in the Sunderbans breached and saline water inundated the villages, poisoned the agricultural lands (2.89 milion ha), rendering them useless for around next two seasons, 100% loss of standing crops and substantial amount of stored crops.

The Sunderbans bore most of Aila’s wrath. Being remotely located and poorly connected with land part, many of the island villages here had received very little sustained assistance from Government or other non Government sources. Chargheri village in Satjelia Island is one such worst affected village. It takes 3.5 hours by boat to reach this place from the last land point (Gatkhali) connected to Kolkata city by Road.

After Aila, Purbasha, an Eco-tourism organisation by local village people sent SOS to everyone they know in Kolkata. Immediate response came from a Chandannagar based club and subsequently the baton was passed to a combined initiative of PAKT, a team comprising Pather Katha (an Orkut based community), ATMA (a benevolent organization of Jadavpur University Students of Civil Engineering, 1995 batch) and Khela Ghar (a Garia based club). None of these organizations are NGOs.

The members took part in the relief at Chagheri as individuals on 28th June, 2009 and after seeing the conditions decided to joined hand together to continue assisting the people there with food and medicine.

So far during 4 weekly visits (fourth visit is about to start while writing this) PAKT has been able to distribute 5700 kg of rice, medicine worth more than 25,000 Rs., Mushuri Dal 100 kg, Mosquito net - 35 pieces, soyabean Chunks - 60 kg, 4 big bundle of clothes, 350 packets of ORS, 250 packets of biscuits, 200 Candle Sticks, 200 Match Boxes. The distribution mechanism formed by the local people, (mainly by the people of Purbasha) under our supervision are performing effectively in ensuring distribution in an unbiased manner. Presently, the concentration is mainly on providing rice (@ 500 gram per head per week for 2800 villagers from Chargheri and nearby 4 villages Santigachhi, Parashmani, Lahiripur and Bidhan Colony) and medicine.

The cost of weekly assistance provided by us is around 30,000 Rs. including transportation cost from Kolkata to Gatkhali and cost of mechanised boat. We are determined to continue this assistance for at least another two months by which time local people are expected to rebuild their houses, receive Government assistance and find out alternative livelihoods. However, our aim is to continue for four months as the Government sponsored permanent dyke repair work will start by that time and people may have a steady source of income.

With the available funds of the participating groups of PAKT we cannot continue for another two weeks. So we request for assistance from all people. ATMA has a bank account to which all the contributions can be made.
Will you kindly extend your support to us??

Update for 5th July

Kaustuv has accompanied Green Camp to distribute some more relief at Chargheri today. We can expect to see some pictorial updates from him on Kaustuv’s Picasa in a few days. The fund collections for this week were quite less compared to last week, and the quantity carried to Chargheri may fall short of the requirement for the week (even taking account of any surpluses from last week). Most of the contributions for the current week are based on large personal contributions from fewer members. Mixed feelings come.

However as the previous post unambiguously states, our action area and role is yet to be decided. Assessment of ground realities have to continue a little longer. It may be a little frustrating for all of us over this period, but unfortunately there is no shortcut to it. We need to assess well to have any hopes of doing it well and ensuring that the right people get the benefits of people's contributions. We have been late in jumping in; the worst we can do at this point of time is try to make up for it by drastically cutting down on the time needed to assess and plan.

Travel time

I will be travelling over the coming 2 weeks. While I will try to keep you updated on our relief activities by making a post or two in this period, there is always a possibility that I may not be able to do it as I will be travelling minus a laptop.

It may be worthwhile to check up on Kaustuv Bhattacharya's Picasa album from time to time, in case you find this site to have stagnated for the next 2 weeks. Kaustuv is the one who has brought us together in this common cause.

I expect to resume normal duties in 2 weeks time.

The bare economics of sustenance

As the earlier post summarises, people in some of the areas in remote Sunderbans need long term support till they are back to sustaining themselves on their own. Even providing them a meagre ration of rice for an extended period (which can potentially reach upto a year) will keep alive hopes of their surviving through the ordeal. We have learnt that a person can just about manage with about 500 gms of rice (chaal) per week. That effectively means about 25 kgs of rice a year - approx 300 rupees worth. Add 50% more for medicines, mosquito nets, match boxes, some other one-time necessities and it comes to about Rs. 450-500 per person per year for the barest sustenance. [see Update below]

Am I sounding too cruel? "Why can't we give them dal and vegetables?" Sometimes they get those too, but you see a kilogramof dal costs the same as about 4 kg of rice - and hence even dal is a luxury. Many more mouths can be fed if rice is supplied. And we thought the people there also support the approach that it is better to distribute some extra rice than replacing it with a fistful of dal & vegetables. Ocasionally vegetables are supplied based on 'good fund' weeks - but the plan still remains to provide meagre sustenance for more people.

Hopefully the bunds will be repaired and the cultivable soil will be purged of salination in another year, in addition to the people creating new job opportunities for themselves through enterprise. So five hundred bucks of stuff is all that each person asks to be supplied at his doorstep to prop him / her up through the year from hell. But even so they are hardly getting their need fulfilled.

Update: After making this post we have done some analysis of the figures above, and we feel the minimum rice consumption given above may need review. The rice consumption at ou homes works out to nearly 1.4 kg per person per week for a moderately eating people taking rice twice a day (with quite a few other items to be had with it). Perhaps there was some serious error in the figure we received.

I suspect 500 gms per week per person may be a little too less ever for bare necessity. Sustenance figure goes up closer to Rs 750/- per head per year or thereabouts, considering we will need to provide close to a kg per person per week to sustain him / her.

Any feedback from you on this will be most helpful. And it will be priceless if you have participated in relief activities earlier. This estimate will be the basis for any effort we plan to take up. [See further update below]

Note: Established benevolent organisations like Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram and others including UNICEF are also working in various areas in Sunderbans. However they have already assessed what they can manage and are now concentrating on their chosen area. We have been late in getting into the act, but as things stand now we intend to work in areas that have not being adopted and supported by any major groups including the establishment.

Further update: Another visit to Chargheri seems to make even the above assessment in "update" section seem too tight. Ultimately we are talking about people putting in physical labour, but assessing their food requirement as per city dwelling office-working folk. The requirement per week per head may go up a little further. Sandeepan gives an idea in this post.

A visit to Aila-affected Chargheri at Sunderbans

The newspaper headlines on 26th & 27th May said that the Cyclonic storm "Aila" hitting South Bengal during daytime of 25th May had caused widespread damage to the many villages of the Sunderban delta. The previous day (i.e. on 25th May) I had witnessed Aila lashing around at my office in Rajarhat, Kolkata and did not think it could be that bad. I had even ventured out of office with some colleagues to take lunch while the storm was supposed to be at its peak. Why, I had even taken some cellcam pictures and videos of the moderate storm that struck Kolkata on 25th May (pics posted here & movie files posted here).

Going beyond the headlines revealed that the dykes around the villages had broken up at various places. It was then that the possible magnitude of destruction hit me. I had been to Sunderbans a few months back, and the first thing we noticed during the tour was that each habitable piece of land - more correctly, each island - was protected from the tide by earthen dykes (or bunds) built continuously around the periphery.

The low tide waters would perhaps stay below the grade level in the islands but the high tides were a problem that only the dykes could insure against. We were looking at a number of mini Hollands around us, un-engineered construction separating life from a watery grave. All transport and material carriage to and from these islands would have to be via boats and steamers, as there are no roads and bridges connecting these islands to the humanity on mainland.

At around the time we were busy taking 'daring' pictures of a much-mitigated Aila hitting Kolkata, the force of raw and uninhibited cyclonic storm was devastating village after island village in delta region of Bengal. The destruction was greater for places that were closer to the open sea. 'Kachcha' houses, comprising almost all residential units of the meagre-earning folk in that region, were demolished without a trace. And that was only the beginning. The dykes were broken at many places. This resulted in flooding inside the villages, salination (equivalent to 'poisoning') of cultivable land and pollution of the drinking water sources. While the large waves waned as Aila receded, the tidal floods would not go away as the dykes were still broken. Remember the Tsunami hitting Indonesia / Sri Lanka / Tamil Nadu on 26th December 2004? Now consider that happening in these villages with broken dykes, with the saline water only partially receding after wreaking havoc.

Most of these people raised there livelihood from agriculture. That land is now partially under water and will remain so until dykes are fully repaired. Even so, the dry land would not become cultivable till it is purged by a season or two of rainfall. The only livelihood some of them have now is the daily wage for earthworks towards re-construction of dyke. They cannot grow food for themselves, most of them have no money to buy their food from the expensive sources around them and their condition is likely to stay that way for an indefinite period. They need support. They need it badly. And worst of all, they need it for an extended period.


Why this is the worst part? A look at the newspapers will tell you why. The media has 'moved on'. Aila related affairs are no more hot news. They are gradually getting out of sight and out of the minds of people unaffected by Aila. That is us. The waves of sympathy that brought relief efforts to this region are receding almost as fast as the waves that caused this plight.

Government relief is woefully inadequate. While they are diligently supplying potable water, they have not been able to provide minimum staple food requirements of affected people. Private efforts are there but these are not well organised within a single window to ensure need-based distribution of relief. Many relief providers are considering this as a one time effort. They come, distribute their relief and go away, never to come back. Moreover, distribution of relief is far from equitable. The relief is generally distributed at the parts nearest to access, i.e. areas that may well have been less affected than the more remote villages. This is always the case, as my experience of Tsunami relief work in remote Vedaranyam of Tamil Nadu taught me.

We visited a village named Chargheri at Satjelia no. 10. We were supporting a relief work by orkut community 'Pather Katha' and 'Khelaghar' from Garia. All of us contributed to an ongoing effort carried out by Green Camp, a green tourism enterprise who are carrying out relief work by continuing distribution of food and bare essentials (like clothes, mosquito nets, medicines, match boxes) to residents of a few villages in Satjelia of Sunderbans. We went from Kolkata to Gadkhali, mounted our relief material (mainly rice and clothes) in a steamer arranged by Green Camp and started off towards Satjelia. It turned out to be twice as deep into Sunderbans as Sajnekhali, which is the central point of Tiger reserve tours. Pictures and videos of our 28th June journey to Satjelia are uploaded here.

On the way we found local folk of many villages coming to the shores and requesting us to distribute relief to them. Some of them shouted at us a tough query - "Amader ki Khidha nai?" [Don't we get as hungry as those you want to feed?]. Some of it was perhaps a rehearsed act put up to maximise 'income' of relief as many of these villages looked like being well located enough to be getting relief. But it hardly seemed artificial as we moved deeper. They have only one direction to look for help - and that is into the river in front from where all good and bad news comes. We saw people waiting on the banks with containers for the water distribution vessel to turn up. On one fateful day chosen by the weather Gods, they lost even the right to drink water of decent quality.

We were delayed right at the onset of the steamer journey by some problems faced one of the relief carrier truck which led to its late arrival at Gadkhali. We had plans of participating in the distribution of relief materials. However reaching Chargheri at 5:30 pm and then having to wade through slippery mud before hopping on mud-lubricated stepping stones for 15 mins (without falling over - a miraculous feat, let me tell you) to reach the actual village meant we had no chance of distributing relief that day. Reason: there is no illumination to be availed after sunset. So we had to come back after depositing our relief material to the local relief team. Green Camp have apparently set up a local team to stock up and distribute relief in that village and also distribute in some of the nearby islands using a steamer owned by one of the villagers (this boat was often hired by Green Camp from its owner Dipankar for their Sunderban tour packages; it was Dipankar who raised the pathetic plight of people of his village to Green Camp and asked them to visit Chargheri).

The plight of Chargheri and its neighbouring villages can be assessed by having a look at the pictures and videos of the place (pics and videos uploaded here). It is hard to believe that this village was home to a reasonably self-sufficient set of people having land and means of livelihood of their own. Virtually no homes are to be seen now, and it is a wonder how these people are managing themselves at this God-forsaken place (I have seldom seen a place more deserving of that term) for a good month since the destruction happened. They live on the dykes and under polythene sheets (one family that had a good home and a piece of land are now staying in a boat), cook a bare rice meal or two per day and sustain themselves in the desperate hope that things will turn better one day. And until that happens they need our sustained help to get that bare meal.

Some of them work on the re-construction of dykes and manage to earn some wages. There is no other possible local source of income at present, other than the normal alternatives of fishing and honey collecting. There is every chance that the relief distribution, if left to these desperate people, will get skewed and ultimately degenerate into a base game of 'survival of the strongest'. That is why we were less than happy at not being able to witness the distribution during the 28th June visit. And hence it cannot be stressed enough that as much as it is important that willing people pick an area and contribute to sustained support of relief to the affected locals staying there, it is further essential that these contributors also pitch in by volunteering a visit or two to their chosen place just to support and monitor the distribution of the relief stocks.

Each such visit can be something of a big effort for us city dwellers, but believe me it is worth it. At the end of it you will want to make the effort again and go back to be with the hapless thousands for one more time. If not for nothing else then simply to reassure them that not everyone beyond that floating horizon of the tidal waters has forgotten about them.