People’s Action for Development (PAD), a premier NGO of Assam, distributed search & rescue materials and first aid kits to 10 flood-prone villages in Lakhimpur district.
The flood-prone villagers are located under the Bihpuria revenue circle in Assam’s Lakhimapur district.
The materials and first aid kits were distributed on Monday under the project ‘Strengthening resilience: Sustainable adaptation to climate change in flood-affected areas of Assam through multisectoral prevention and adaptation mechanisms and advocacy”.
The livelihood coordinator of the project, John Tirkey said, “The villages – Bahgora, Purani Bahgora, Aunibari, Ronganoi Chenimora, Bholukaguri, Dahghoria, Gongrabari, Kalbari, Bahgora Pathar and Gondhasarayati – are highly vulnerable to severe floods.”
So, the PAD has come up to support these villages in multiple ways.
On Monday, the organization distributed lifebouys, life jackets, ropes, mikes, torch lights, batteries and search & rescue materials and some essential medical necessities as first aid kits to the Village Disaster Management Committees (VDMCs) of the villages.
In each village, there are four task forces that would be trained to use the materials to minimize flood damages in the villages, Tirkey informed.
“Climate change has intensified the flood magnitude in the geologically fragile Brahmaputra basin and it becomes very difficult to predict any disaster and to cope up with the disasters.”
“Many families have been displaced by floods and erosion over the decades in the region and lost livelihood.”
“Those who have lost livelihood to the climate change intensified disasters, we are trying to provide them alternative sustainable livelihood,” John Tirkey added.
Tirkey informed that just a few weeks ago, PAD supported these villages with country boats to use during floods.
The NGO also distributed water resilient rice seeds to some of the selected farmers of these villages recently.
He informed the entire project is financially supported by a Germany-based organization, Terre des Hommes (TDH).
(Report filed by Monoj Gogoi)