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The flood emergency started in the mid of May, 2022, in the Assam State, highlighted in local and national news channels and newspapers due to sudden havoc and disasters created by two waves of flood. In the first wave of flood 29 districts have been badly affected by the flood disaster. The major damages were seen in Dima Hasao, Hojai, West Karbi Along, Morigaon and Nagaon in which three districts – Morigaon, Hojai and Nagaon are under the Archdiocese of Guwahati.
Normally, flood events generally occur during the monsoon season by June and July. This year the season started earlier and the population was not prepared to face the consequences of the flood disaster.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reports the flood emergency situation daily. According to the report (July 25, 2022), in the last 24 hours 4 districts are heavily affected by the flood involving 34 villages in Assam State and eight (8) relief camps opened in the districts of Morigaon and Tamulpur to host 537 people. In general, over 2.71 lakh flood-displaced people have taken shelter in over 845 relief camps across the State.
After the first wave, the flood situation seemed to be receding and some people evacuated in the relief camps began to go back home. But on June 10, 2022 a second wave of continuous rainfall hit again the State. The flood situation suddenly worsened affecting a wider range of population with more damages and human losses than the first. According to the latest official data report by the Ministry of Home Affairs Disaster Management Division (National Emergency Response Centre) in July 2022, the first and second waves of flood disaster has taken the death toll to 180 due to the incessant rainfall and its consequent landslides and more than 3 million people in total have been affected.
As project partner of the emergency relief operation lead by the Camillian Task Force (CTF) India and CADIS International, a local team called Guwahati Gana Seva Society (GGSS), the social arm of the Archdiocese of Guwahati, has done an assessment of the flood situation in Hojai, Morigaon, Nagaon, Kamrup Metro, Kamrup Rural & Baksaby involving local people from the flood affected area where people are affected more within the Archdiocese of Guwahati. They interacted with the people living in different relief camps and listened to their difficulties and problems. The team had collected information from different locations of flood affected areas.
What emerged during the very first assessment is that the affected population of different villages had to leave their homes to find a safer place in the temporary shelters, along the roads, schools, temples, and other community safe places. People are living in relief camps without much facilities and external support to fulfill their daily needs. Two educational facilities in the archdiocese turned as temporary shelter homes during the flood disaster crisis, although the conditions of the people are not so favorable as the support of government authorities is minimal.
The majority of the people in the Assam State are engaged in agriculture and cultivation due to the fertile soil. The plots of land are small and scattered but their cultivation method is simple and thus unproductive. The main source of drinking water is from wells and natural springs. The houses are made of bamboo and thatch grass. The walls are made of reed or bamboo splinters plastered with mud. They depend on natural phenomena, such as the monsoon, floods and droughts. The climate conditions of the land makes the population vulnerable due to the destroying effects.
The flood has damaged the houses, agricultural crops, livestocks and road infrastructures. The victims of the flood have lost their precious properties and important documents.
In addition, the infrastructure damage is making communication and the arrival of humanitarian aid difficult such as food, and medical assistance as well as the rescue of the people.
Villages and houses are still under water and the majority of affected people are in relief camps. Few weeks later, most probably the population will face health and hygiene issues because the dwelling places and surroundings are polluted by the floodwater and wastes. Under these circumstances people will have to face water borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid fever, etc. and vector borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis (JEV), etc.
The GGSS is assisting those affected by the natural disaster. It distributed food, sanitary and hygiene kits. On the other hand, the CTF India, with the support of CADIS International, and the St. Johns Hospital medical team are conducting medical relief camps.
Present Needs of the Affected People:
· Provision of drinking water in the relief camps.
· Provision of temporary toilets in the camps for proper sanitation.
· Provision of mosquito nets to prevent vector borne disease.
· Provision of halogen and chlorine tablets for purification of drinking water.
· Provision of sufficient food items for adults and children.
· Provision of tarpaulin for temporary shelter.
· Provision of bleaching powder and phenyl for cleanings.
· Provision of soaps and Dettol for WASH.
· Medical assistance.
· Transportation facilities for emergencies.
What we do?
CADIS, CTF India and St. Johns medical team are organizing six (6) medical camps in different locations at different times to avoid overcrowding. The medical camps are targeting to reach out at least 3000 families in the villages within the archdiocese of Guwahati including distributions of relief goods (food and non food). The medical camp is packaged also with health and hygiene awareness seminar. All the activities are in coordination with the local government officials.
The beneficiaries will be selected and prepared by the local volunteers who are familiar with the villages’ situation and the households. Moreover, the volunteers are assisted by the village committees.
From July 11 to 13, the team reached Kuthuri, Marigaon district of Assam and held the medical camp in the government primary school. A total of 115 people of all ages and gender, mostly tea farmers, were visited and 84 received specific medical assistance.
Another health camp was held in Kamarkuchi village of Mayomg block of the Guva panchayat in Marigaon district. Ninety-two (92) patients with multiple problems were assisted. The team identified the common complaints: hypertension, skin problems, gastritis and body aches.
The third day, the medical camp was held in the flood affected area of Amaraguri located in Laharighat subdivision of Morigaon district. Amaraguri has a total population of 4,992, out of which male population is 2,543 while female population is 2,449. Literacy rate of Amaraguri village is 39.48% out of which 40.62% males and 38.30% females are literate.
It is urgent to act immediately since most of the houses are completely damaged and washed away as well as the people losing their crops in the field, livestock, important documents, and household items.
Transport and road communications are disrupted. Women and children living in the relief camps are facing difficult times. The issues of health and hygiene in the relief camps have become a great matter of concern, though the government officials are trying to provide health care services. The food and drinking water are another major concern in the relief camps. The people are facing shortage of food on account of food consumption. The educational institutions are closed which created problems for the school going children and interrupted their daily learning.
CADIS International
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