ORISSA: Disabled at the back of the queue in flood relief

People living with disability in Orissa are raising concerns that they are among the hardest hit during heavy rains and floods and are benefiting least from relief and rehabilitation efforts.

In a survey conducted 15 days back, Youth Service Centre, an ActionAid partner organisation, spoke with 3000 people living with disabilities in Balasore district of Orissa. Some are visually-impaired, several cannot walk, others have hearing problems.

In response to the floods, the Orissa government plans to spread the safety net by stepping up provision of jobs under the National Rural Employment Guarantee programme. It has urged district and block level officials to issue job cards as soon as possible.

But, 35-year-old Pravin of Boghrai village, Balasore says, “Persons with disability are unlikely to feel the benefit.” Mentally and physically challenged, Pravin works with the Orissa Viklang Manch (Orissa Disabled Forum) of which Youth Service Centre is a part.

More immediate concerns include shelter and relief kits that are not disabled-friendly.

Temporary shelters erected with plastic sheets and bamboo sticks do little to keep people safe and dry when the rains resume.

“While others may find it easier to move from the shelters to more secure places like schools and government anganwadi centres during heavy rains, disabled people are often left behind,” says Umesh Purohit of Youth Service Centre.

Emergency food kits are supplied without utensils or firewood which disabled people find difficult to procure. “It frustrates us to see that the government’s job ends at distributing dry rice. What are we to do without cooking material? How do we collect firewood amid this chaos?” asks Pravin.

Relief camps not for all

After heavy rains and floods that hit Balasore 15 days back, the government set up medical camps to examine patients.

“Those who cannot walk are unable to travel to the medical camp, disabled people who can make the journey, too often find themselves at the end of the queues. And those who cannot talk or hear find it difficult to communicate with the doctor and tell them about their condition,” says Pravin.

Among the disabled, ActionAid partners also met with 300 children. Ramps to facilitate movement of disabled kids in village schools get destroyed during rains. So even as other children return to school, disabled children are forced to stay behind. Because of muddy paths and water logged roads disabled children feel further discouraged.

Latest from Orissa: Even immediate relief inadequate

Inland Orissa is bracing itself as the cyclonic depression over the Bay of Bengal that caused heavy rains in coastal districts over the last few days (3-7 August) has now moved to interior areas. Meanwhile local organisations in coastal areas say communities are still waiting for government relief.

Districts of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balipatna, Khurda, Puri, Jhajhpur, Balasore and Kendrapada are facing severe water logging. Fifteen persons have lost their lives, according to media reports. In Jhajhpur district alone, three hundred houses have been damaged or destroyed.

Slum dwellers in Cuttack

Reports say Cuttack is marooned with 300,000 people severely affected by the flood. The district received 45 centimetres of rain in the last three days.

An ActionAid team is assessing how slum areas in the city are coping. Along with residents, teams will make the local administration aware of badly-affected communities.

Balasore needs protection

In Balasore district, the state government has not yet repaired breaches in river embankments after floods hit the area 15 days back. Water rushed into four villages of Balasore district from the swollen Vamsadhara River during heavy rains since Friday.

While waters are now receding, Balasore remains at risk of flooding as long as embankments remain damaged.

Livelihoods hit

Thanks to intermittent flooding, the rice yield expected from affected villages is nil this year. Transplanting of paddy cannot happen in sodden fields for the next eight days.

“Water logging along the entire coast of Orissa has pushed back the agricultural cycle by eight days. Landless labourers will be without work for at least a week. Daily wage earners are the worst-affected by lack of agricultural activities,” says Manas Ranjan of ActionAid.

Fifteen days back, the state government had distributed kits containing 15 kilos of rice, one litre of kerosene and a kilo each of dal and salt in 30 villages of Balasore. But nothing now.

“How can one-time aid by the government take care of recurring floods in the monsoon season?” asks Umesh Purohit of Youth Service Centre, an ActionAid partner organisation.

Purifying powder was also given to villagers then to disinfect open wells. But nothing has been supplied this time around.

“Water in open wells is now contaminated. Safe drinking water is not available to villagers. Health hazards like diarrhoea can strike anytime,” says Umesh Purohit.

So far the state government has sought central government funds to rebuild roads. Local groups say the state is likely to take a month to calculate the number of damaged and destroyed houses.

“At least six months will elapse before the state government starts constructing new houses to replace damaged ones. Also, it has not promised any compensation money to affected villagers till now,” states Umesh Purohit.

Updated: 07/08/2007

Photo credit: ActionAid