Emergency relief grant to 150 flood affected families of Panthamthitta District In Kerala

In late August 2018, severe flooding affected the south Indian state of Kerala owing to unusually high rainfalls during the monsoon season. It was the worst flooding in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 445 people died, 15 went missing within a fortnight, while at least a million people were evacuated, mainly from Chalakudy, Kuttanad, Pandalam, Chengannur, Pandanad Aranmula, Aluva and Pathanamthitta districts. In Thodupuzhasery region of Pathanamthitta district, the waters entered into almost all houses, even those which were situated at elevated regions. The household articles, electrical and electronic appliances, utensils, dresses, furnitures vehicles and education materials have become unusable. Even removing the filled in mud has been a big problem in almost all houses. The open wells are filled with mud and there is high scarcity of drinking water. At this stage, the people cannot stay in their houses as a temporary asylum, the government, and the local Panchayat has made them stay in relief camps which are either schools, colleges or community halls. Now the mud has been removed and the houses seem empty without any household articles, utensils, rice, groceries, mats and clothes. To continue their normal day to day life, they urgently require the materials mentioned.

Our team visited the places and met the people in their temporary asylums. Very few people have moved to their houses and most of the families are still in relief camps. The schools, colleges, shops, and other institutions are still closed due to the non-availability of facilities such as labour and machines to remove the mud from houses and roads. The mud on the roads and houses has hardened overtime and we were able to walk on the muddy road. We visited some houses and found them filled with mud.

We issued food materials and shirts to nearly 200 families in a government school camp at Thodupuzhasery with funds raised locally and from our resources. We observed that 300 families need help to get their lives back on track. We also observed that the school children have lost all their education materials. We approached the local Panchayat president to identify the most needed families and the Panchayat people have given an assurance that they will extend all their help during the implementation period in villages.

• 150 families of 728 members are settled back in their houses.

• 150 families have started cooking with new utensils and all 728 members are able to eat 3 times daily.

• 100 students will go to schools with sufficient writing materials and a school bag.

• All 150 houses are treated with insecticides to protect the family members from waterborne diseases.

• 150 family members are living peacefully and continuing their normal daily lives within their own houses.

• The local authorities' burden to raise funds for rehabilitating the families to some extent has been reduced.