DISASTER RELIEF AND REHABILITATION

Providing relief during natural and man-made emergencies

VSSM remains a friend in-need for the nomadic communities. In the years 2015 and 2017 the region of north Gujarat experienced some of the worst floods in its history. The dry, arid and drought prone region of north seldom receives even normal rainfall. Rains have always remained deficit in this region. Therefore, when the region flooded with flash floods in 2015 and again in 2017 VSSM was required to stand with the nomadic communities of the region. The northern Gujarat has large concentration of nomadic communities residing in the area. Staying at a distance from the village most of these nomadic families/communities aren’t part of any revenue village, they do not have the comfort of staying in pucca houses. Their settlements are situated on wastelands that usually low laying and prone to water accumulation. The unprecedented flooding in Banaskantha and adjoining districts took away even the little these communities owned.


It is a very well accepted fact that the natural disasters severely impact the people at the margins, the social and economic divide, the vested interest groups, the political pressures seldom allow them to access the relief material or cash handouts. It was after we got a sense of this during the cloud burst and consequent flooding in Banaskantha that VSSM decided to initiate relief efforts in coordination with the authorities for the families stranded there.


During both the years that the region got flooded the families lost their homes, raw material bought for their occupation, cattle and all the household goods. These daily wage earners also lost their livelihoods for the months it took the region to limp back to normal.







Achievements

  • The relief operations were carried out in  Banaskantha and Morbi districts
  • More than 6000 families were supported and same amount of relief kits were distributed.
  • Approximately  Rs. 2  to 2.5 crores were spent on the relief and rehabilitation of these families.
  • Houses for 219 families were built/re-built.
  • Rs. 75 lacs  were spent on livelihood restoration of those affected during these calamities.


Similarly, another calamity struck families of Rajkot and Surendranagar when shanties of around 100 families caught fire and completely perished. VSSM stood beside these families, providing them relief kits, ensuring their matter is heard by the authorities and the damages are duly compensated.