Flood relief and rehabilitation project by Marwari Yuva Manch

A long-term relief and rehabilitation project - "Ummide" will be launched very soon by the Bihar Prantiya Marwari Yuva Manch (BPMYM) for the flood affected people in Bihar.

Earlier, delegation of BPMYM headed by Smt. Sarita Bajaj & Sri Jagdish Chandra Mishra distributed relief materials including infant food, milk powder, food grains, biscuits, torches, clothes, medicines, utensils and tarpaulin sheets to the flood-affected people in various districts. Total Relief material worth Rs. 1.5 Crore were
distributed among the people.

Permanent Mega Relief camps were setup by Marwari Yuva Manch volunteers at Triveniganj and Supaul blocks of Supaul district, Forbesganj block of Araria district and in Madhepura Town.We were following a relay model. We were looking at three dimensions: reaching out to the needy at rescue points, exclusively engaging with the most vulnerable families on a long term basis, and damage assessment.

The floods in Bihar have displaced 3.2 million people and killed hundreds of people. The words "FLOODS IN BIHAR" convey the impression that this is something which happens every year. But unfortunately, the floods occurring this year caused by River Kosi which changed its course due to an embankment breach at Indo-Nepal border, brought a havoc of unthinkable magnitude submerging thousands of villages in
water which had never experienced floods in last hundred years. Millions of people were left homeless along with a huge loss of lives and property in parts of Bihar that were already marginalized.

Marwari Yuva Manch is carrying out second phase of relief work (or you can say 1st phase of rehabilitation program) in the affected districts by supplying rehabilitation kits (all necessary items included in a kit) after the surveys conducted by its volunteers to ensure that relief is getting to those who need it the most. Like with any other relief work after a natural disaster, funds become
a major constraint. If we have sufficient funds available, then the required relief supplies including food and medicines can be procured locally and more people can be hired to help us in carrying the relief work at the ground. Now we are focusing on Permanent rehabilitation project and hope people will come forward to help us for
this noble cause.

- Anil Verma