NGO initiates long-term rehabilitation scheme

Kochi: Even as the government agencies have shifted focus from rescue to rehabilitation of flood victims, few NGOs have initiated decentralised rehabilitation programmes in partnership with local bodies.

The Chalakudy-based Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation, which form-ed a special group named ‘Flood 18 – Hornbill Mission Rescue Team’ for rescue and relief operation has now initiated a long-term rehabilitation programme for the worst hit villages in Ernakulam district.

More than 15 villages near Paravur including Chalakkal, Aduvassery, Kuthiyathodu, Elanthik-kara and Puthanvelikara have been selected by the Foundation for the rehabilitation programme.

“We are partnering with those villages where the local body authorities have formally requested our support. Once our group receives a formal letter from the ward member or the official concerned, our volunteers will coordinate with them for the rehabilitation. A local level committee will be formed in each village with member from local body or representatives of local NGOs if any as members to monitor the rehabilitation. There will be a grievance cell to address complaints of villagers regarding collection and distribution of relief materials,” said Dr. K.H Amitha Bachan, founder of Western Ghats Horn-bill Foundation, who proposed the concept.

The local level committees will record the loss incurred by each villager. “This will help government agencies to easily assess their loss and fix the compensation accordingly,” he added.

There will be a centralised relief collection centre in each village and the materials will be distributed as per the voters’ list. While the worst affected families will be given kitchen utensils, mats, pillows, buckets and mugs along with food grains and pulses, the partially affected families will be given only food materials.

The rehabilitation programme has already been successfully implemented in Aduvassery. The Foundation has been collecting relief materials from across the state for rehabilitation of families.

“The proposal of decentralised rehabilitation has already been submitted to sub collectors of Thrissur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. This is a role model which can be replicated in other flood-hit areas across the state. It is easy to manage small groups of 150 or 200 families in a village by forming local level committees. All the details of collection and distribution of materials will be presented before the committee,” he added.