Bihar Flood Relief: UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated Learning): Delhi University Response to Kosi Flood Victims: Press Release

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Delhi University Response to Kosi Flood Victims: Press Release

Delhi, 1st September, 2008

Delhi School of Social Work (DSSW), University of Delhi has decided for immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation for the victims of flood caused by Kosi, under a Project named UDAI. A batch of seven volunteers has left for Saharsa, Bihar with relief material amounting to Rs. 15 Lakh. The relief material contains –
ORH, Biscuits, Fruit Drinks, Clothes, Candles, Matchboxes, Baby food, Milk powder, Torches, Plastic Sheets and Shoes.

The Student volunteer team led by Dr. Manoj K. Jha, Director Field Work was sent off by Dr. A.K. Dubey, Registrar, D.U., Dr. S. K. Vij, Dean Student Welfare and Prof. Navjot Lahari, after speaking to a gathering of students at Delhi School of Social Work. Speaking on the occasion the Dean of colleges, Dr. A. K. Dubey while appreciating the role of Delhi School of Social Work in responding to Kosi disaster, assured full support and cooperation from the university authorities. Prof. Nayjot Lahari acknowledged the role of volunteerism in relief and rehabilitation also assured that the colleges of DU are with this initiative. Dr. S.K. Vij wished all the team members – Dr. Manoj Jha, Uday Bhaskar, Digvijoy Phukan, Santonu Hazarika, Rajeev Jena, Kevalya Desai, Pushpam; as a part of the commitment to the department and the discipline, and long service to Delhi School of Social Work, one of the security guards, Sh. Bajraj Singh (Pehalwanji) also joined the first batch of volunteers.

DUTA president, Dr. Aditya Mishra has also promised the support of the largest teachers’ association in the country in terms of human resource and financial support.

Delhi School of Social Work (DSSW) has launched its long-term relief and rehabilitation project- UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated learning). This unit project has two fold objectives:-

a) To participate in relief and rehabilitation of flood affected victims
b) Bringing back experiences of learning into the knowledge system of the university.

Prof. Sanjai Bhatt, Head, Dept. of Social Work and Director of the project UDAI informed that we have experiences of working with Earthquake victims of Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Kasi. Based on our experiences batch of 10-15 student volunteers of DU will be going for a week or a fortnight for initial assessment. The project is expected to be for duration of 6-12 months.

The HelpAge India has extended support to the project, and many other International and National Organisations are extending support as well. The students of the dept. have collected relief materials amounting to Rs. 15 lakh so far and many responsible citizens, NGOs, are supporting this endeavor.
For any help, contribution, funds or queries, the DSSW has also started a 24 hour helpline number- 011-32021499.

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Following the desk review of the situation in Northern Bihar as also through the information available from the state and district administration, the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi has developed its plan of action. Based on our experiences of working with victims of earth quake in Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttrakhand, we have taken the initiative for long-term relief and rehabilitation project- UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated Learning-II) for the flood affected people in Bihar with two fold objectives:

a) To contribute in relief and rehabilitation of flood affected victims on long term basis.

b) To bring back experiences of learning into the knowledge system of the university.

We have already started our intervention from August 28, 2008 and a team of seven students and one non teaching staff led by Dr. Manoj Kumar Jha, Reader, Department of Social Work has set up base camp at Saharsa. This team left with relief material worth Rupees twelve lacs collected from various quarters.

Our Vice Chancellor Prof. Deepak Pental has contributed Rupees twenty lacs to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and has also supported the Volunteer based UDAI project of Delhi University. The University has given us all support to make requisite intervention in affected areas. All Colleges/ Departments of Delhi University are joining us in this task.
In view of the severity and the magnitude of the problem, the department realizes that post-rescue interventions can be made at four levels and that too in collaboration with civil society organizations based in Delhi as well as in Bihar:

1. Reaching out to affected families and individuals in the worst affected districts such as Madhepura/Purnea/Araria/Saharsa

2. Helping them with necessary and scarce items such as - packed food, medicines, chlorine tablets, torches, mosquito-nets/repellant, plastic sheets (tarpaulin ones) etc.

3. To liaison and work with government and non-government agencies.

4. To focus especially on children, elderly, Dalits, Muslims and extreme backward class communities as their vulnerability is relatively high compared to other groups and communities in the same region.

WHAT WE INTEND TO DO

We intend to work at three levels- immediate relief, long term post rescue relief and long term rehabilitation. For the same our strategy is as under:

1. Identification of an area (we might focus on a cluster of villages alone) and there too identify the vulnerable locations and populations
2. Development of base and network with government and non-government agencies (for facilitating relief and rehabilitation packages and measures)
3. The impromptu relief camps need better trained staff in the initial phase and professional social workers can have a better impact on coordination
4. Taking a team of twenty students with at least three faculty members which shall liaison and network with the district administration ensuring coordination and cooperation from different government departments as well as NGOs.
5. We also realise that sanitation will be a major problem for these areas as most of the people are residing on the impromptu found cluttered spaces. We intend to liaison and work with organisation based in Delhi as well as the ones working locally.
6. Ready to eat food is more suitable for these areas as availability of fuel will be a problem.
7. We are also informed that ORS packets are not adequate for the affected areas. There is a need for bleaching powder, lime and chlorine tablets immediately for the affected districts.

Bihar Flood Relief: UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated Learning)

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Delhi University Response to Kosi Flood Victims: Press Release

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