On the 8 th October 2005, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit South Asia, leaving about 75,000 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless and vulnerable to the impending winter snowfall. Much of the worst damage occurred in Kashmir, the epicentre of the earthquake.
CINI's response
The CINI Disaster Response Team reached Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir on 31 st October 2005, almost three weeks after the earthquake, with a plan to provide relief to Indian-administered Kashmir and send materials across the Line of Control to families in need in Pakistan. Unfortunately, although points of crossing on the Line of Control opened up on the 7th November, there was no free movement of people or materials across the border, so CINI subsequently focused its relief efforts on Indian Kashmir.
After meeting and talking to affected villagers, army personnel and civil district authorities, priorities were developed to ensure that the appropriate materials were distributed amongst those in need. A house-to-house survey in some of the worst affected villages identified by the army proved essential in selecting families that would need assistance. |
|
Distribution of essentials to devastated villages
The powerful earthquake caused extensive damage to peoples' homes. Many villagers tried to salvage materials from their homes to make temporary shelters, while others lived precariously in their severely damaged houses. Providing sturdy temporary roofing and covering material was important to help villagers reinforce their current shelters and homes to withstand the expected heavy snowfall. Through its coverage of the three areas of Uri, Tangdhar and Kupwara, CINI provided hundreds of families with 20 sheets of galvanised iron each and extra floor insulating material that would help to protect themselves from the upcoming harsh winter.
As a further measure against the cold, firhans (a loose-fitting robe worn by women, men and children in Kashmir) were distributed to families vulnerable to the extremities. Some food was distributed by CINI, particularly to those widowed by the earthquake and elderly people left without support, but it was found that immediately after the earthquake dry food rations had already been distributed by the army and were subsequently topped up by other local NGOs.
CINI's relief efforts in the area of Tangdhar were facilitated by its partnership with Bhoruka Charitable Trust (BCT) a partner NGO, located in Bhorugram, Rajasthan.
Difficulties encountered
Access to the areas covered by CINI proved difficult, especially due to the stringent security measures near the Line of Control and the remoteness of the villages. It was possible to travel to the Uri and Kupwara sectors from Srinagar by leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. It took up to four hours to reach Tangdhar and there were certain sections of the highway where travel was restricted after 5pm. However, the army authorities agreed to accommodate the CINI - BCT relief team in their brigade headquarters in Tangdhar.
Countless security and identity checks along the highway leading to the Line of Control from Srinagar led to lost time which had to be taken into account when planning trips. The security situation in Srinagar quickly deteriorated and regular terrorist bombs killed and injured innocents caught in the blast and the crossfire. One late night, the team returning from Uri was forced to take the back roads to reach Srinagar as there was shooting on the highway.
Local transport strikes made it difficult to hire transport to take the supplies to the affected areas. The rain made the highway slippery and slowed down the flow of trucks. Unfortunately, due to the impending snowfall and the increasing indiscriminate terrorism in Srinagar, the CINI Disaster Response Team returned to Kolkata at the end of November, once they learnt it would no longer be possible to easily reach out to the affected villagers and distribute shelter material. CINI has since been unable to return to the area, but reports show that the villagers are receiving help from the Jammu and Kashmir governments to rebuild their homes.
Lessons learnt and future plans
There was a delay in responding to the Kashmir earthquake by the CINI Disaster Response Team as resources for the team had not been allocated and equipment and manpower were not in place. This situation will not be repeated again, as resources will be earmarked to allow the team to respond to disasters in India at short notice. Strategic partnerships are being planned with the TCI group who have a presence all over India through their extensive transport network with offices located in all the major cities and towns. CINI, with its own network of health NGOs in east India, will identify potential NGO partners in disaster areas to initiate prompt emergency relief services.
| Case Study: Mustaque and Zahira Ahmed in Parampilla, Uri Sector, Kashmir
It took Mustaque almost 5 days to reach his village after the earthquake from Assam where he had gone to search for work. His daughter Sahiba was born on the day of the earthquake; he has another 4-year old, Sabiya. The family live together with his mother, father, two younger brothers and sister.
Their house looked sturdy enough from afar, but closer inspection gave view to cracks and crumbled walls. Their household belongings were locked in the only room that still had its partition walls intact. The regular aftershocks could bring the remainder of the house down at any time. |
 |
They had built a 4x5 metres temporary shelter, covered at the top and sides by plastic sheeting. In one corner, Zahira had set up a kitchen while the rest of the space was used by the women and young children. The men shared a small tent pitched nearby.
Mustaque was relieved to get 20 sheets of galvanised iron distributed by CINI, which will now allow them to convert the shelter to withstand the 1-2 metres of snow expected. The iron will also be useful for when they have the chance to rebuild their home.
With an improvised shelter, a sufficient stock of food and plans to buy a stove to keep the family warm, Mustaque can return to Assam knowing that his new-born child is now more likely to survive the harsh winter months after enduring such hardship.
See here for a printable version of this report (Word document)
 top
back to What we do
|
