Thank you Prashanthi garu for the comprehensive report. Hi all, This is about Kattela peta survey.
I think its better if we make some kind of database (probably in Excel) with all the details (answers to your questionnaire, photo of family if taken and any other relevant data). I will make such database soon once I assimilate everything from our team. Here are the major feedback from our team (Giri kolanupaka, Satya, and Ravi) after visiting Kattela peta: - Most of the families are daily wage labors and men get Rs. 100 per day and women and children get Rs.50. There are event some 8 years old kids who even go as daily wage labors. There were only two land owners (2 to 3 acres) out of 200+ families we visited. - Most of them lost their jobs (daily wages) since all the crops/fields and businesses are washed off in the floods. So, I personally think instead of giving material (which may also help, but only in short term and for immediate help), we should make them start working either by providing or creating some kind of daily labor. To start with, this could be cleaning their own houses, and premises. They can then do cleaning of public property like schools, hospitals etc. I think we can even try to get this worked out with NREGS (we can try to make them some exceptions if possible), or we can raise funds for ourselves and monitor the work (if we have enough time). - There are few families, who lost lives, either during floods or after. There was one family, where the son died while cleaning his house and the wall collapsed on him. We were there at their house on his death ceremony! - Most of the families lost bags of rice, dal, and other groceries, which they usually get from the land lords where they usually work. - Some of them lost few cattle. Most of the cattle that they lost were goats, except couple of families that we talked to lost one or two buffaloes.Few of them were able to get their cattle along with them during the floods to montessory school and some of the cattle were found after floods. - Most of the families now can survive only for the next 15 to 30 days, with the amount of relief that they have received, which includes Rs. 8000 and rice from govt and relief material from other NGOs. So, what after that? I do not think NGOs and govt can do this for ever and this is definitely not a solution. - There are still some unreachable houses in the street because of the uncleared debris from the floods. There is lot of mud and accumulation, which has to be cleaned. Lot of foul smell. This is definitely a health hazard! I am totally worried about this. Luckily we did not notice many pigs in Kattela peta, but on our way to Kattela peta, there were many. There were few monkeys though, which are also dangerous, especially at this time, which will carry diseases along with them. - A very few of them were business families, and the maximum profit that they make ranges from Rs. 10,000 to 30,000 per year. One family, which makes coa sweets from milk, says that she lost all her material (stoves, vessels, wood) and there is no milk to continue her business. She needs these material, which will make her life to be restored. Couple of families make "mirchi bajji", one vegetable vendor, one kirana shop etc. One muslim priest, 2 to 3 butchers. One is owner of liquor (kallu), one painter. - Some families who have cattle, also requested for fodder and cattle feed. - As per my observations about 75% children in families go to school and the rest were dropouts. Most of the school going children lost their books and it seems govt is providing them books to make them come back to school. There is one NGO, which is also providing books to children going to private school. - Most of the families were not able to receive flood relief material supplied by NGOs since they were busy cleaning their homes. Only those who do not deserve to be given were only getting those material. There are lot of old people and helpless, who are not even able to go that far (they have to go to montessory school, about 1 km) to get the relief material. - There were quite a few women in families who make 'beedis' and earn Rs. 20 per day by rolling beedis. - There was one person (Gadige Buchanna), who claims to be a doctor (but a 10th pass), is also in a helpless situation. Sale Nagaiah lost his maggam and looms and he makes towels. - There were couple of families who are tailors and earn up to 3000 per month. - There were 2 to 3 families who live only on pension coming from elderly people and there is no other income. One of such family (Pinjari Khaja Bee), where all the 6 children are going to school lost all their books. - There were also few locked houses, since they have moved out of the town to a different village or town to their relatives. - Most of families we visited needs clothes (old are also OK) and bed sheets. Most of them have stoves for cooking. Distribution water filters may work out here, since there is some water being supplied by govt authorities here. Pictures from my mobile camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/kolanupaka/Alampur# (yet to complete comments). Photos from Satya: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/tmad.krishhh/AlampurKattelaPeta# Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzkjV8AXwPo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxSBRmsyB6o Also updated: http://kolanupaka.net/?page_id=40 with this visit along with my previous visits. After lunch, we took some information from families of Brahmana veedhi and Telugu veedhi. One thing that I liked about Alampur is that there are few streets like these where they are specifically for Brahmins (priests of temples and others pujaris) in Brahmana veedhi, street for fishermen (Telugu street). Both these streets have completely devastated than Kattela peta, since these are very close to temple and Tungabhadra river. Fishermen in Telugu street even are complaining that they are still not allowed to start fishing since they are warned by police not to get inside the river as there could be still more back waters from Krishna river coming in. Lot of houses collapsed and loss of property in Telugu and Brahmana street. Thank you. Regards, Giri -- http://kolanupaka.net On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 12:22 AM, Prasanthi Uppalapati < [email protected]> wrote: > > > When returning from the place, we had a discussion about our experiences > and opinion. > > *Opinion:* > > 1. Most of them (except Giri Kolanupaka) thought that there would only be > 250 families (but the reality was Kattela Veedhi itself has 250 families). > > 2. People are not interested enough to clean their surroundings and their > homes as well so as to gain sympathy and get more provisions and items from > donors. > > 3. They have no clue on how they can stand on their own feet and get on in > life. > > *Ideas/Suggestions:* > > 1. The top most priority should be given to cleaning the place as early as > possible. Already two chicken gunya cases were noticed. > 2. To motivate and make the people work, it is better to give them money to > clean their surroundings and houses. This way it would be like providing > them work and also cleaning the premises. Also to find out if govt. can > provide them work under NREGS. > 3. Vaccinate pigs or anything of that sort so that there would not be any > health hazards either to pigs or to humans. Bluecross to be consulted. > 4. People are not doing any work or concentrating on cleaning because they > are not sure who will come when and distribute items. It is better to > request govt./local authorities to clearly fix certain timings for > distribution so that people can concentrate on their work. > 5. Offer help to all the families that are identified as modest enough and > not greedy. > a. Specially one physically challenged girl used to stitch clothes and feed > her family which is entirely dependant on her. She lost the machine and the > material. Everyone in that street requested us to help her. One sewing > machine, stitching material and a tricycle would be of great help to her. > b. A person works on contract in govt. office to do computer work. He > requested for a computer so that he can set up his own shop and do the job > work so that he can easily earn Rs. 3000 to Rs. 3500 a month. He knows DTP > and MS-Office. > c. A tailor family (elder and younger brother both are tailors) needs two > stitching machines and one overlap machine. > d. A person who requested us to provide initial investment of Rs. 6000 to > buy spices so that he can start his business and earn for his family > e. A cart and initial investment for snacks vendor would help his family. > f. There is a family where mother and father does not do anything and three > girls are there. All of them work as agriculture labourers. The youngest is > very interested to study. Her eyes literally glowed and there was a hope in > her face when we asked her if she is interested to pursue her studies if we > help. But all the neighbours came and mentioned that their parents are > useless and these girls need not require any studies but they are to be > married off and any help in that regard would be of great support and > relief. Literally the helplessness and unexpressed anger on the face of the > youngest and the younger one is so heartrending. I asked the youngest girl > if she is interested to stay in a hostel and pursue studies but she insisted > on staying with parents. We need to help her at any cost. > g. Most of the children who are studying there want to become Urdu > teachers. > h. One woman who is preparing for DSC lost all her books and guides. > i. Three to four families did not get Rs. 8000 relief amount from the govt. > as they couldn't show their ration cards. What an irony. They are the real > losers because they couldn't even retrieve their cards. They literally lost > everything. But still they didn't receive money from the govt. Again > everyone in the street confessed that those families didn't receive any help > from the govt. > > > I spoke with Sri Anjaneya Sarma (Social Welfare officer and Relief Incharge > for Mehboob Nagar Dt.) on Monday itself. This time he sounded different > though he says that he will help. > > Bottomline of his conversation is that: > > - No need to dwell deep into administrative aspects of the problems. > - Govt. and the respective departments will do their work. > - People are too greedy and they never acknowledge the help they > receive and they always crave for more and more help. > - As a social welfare officer, he assured the Chakali folks (washerman) > an amount of 10,000 rs. for each family but they are demanding donkeys > also. > He exclaims that from where can he bring the donkeys!! > - If we are so keen to help decide on one or two items that they > requested say stoves or clothes or mats etc., and distribute to the > identified families based on our budget. Whatever help he can do from his > end he is ready to do and if possible, he will also accompany us. > - Even for stoves he wondered from where can they get kerosene. > - About sewing machines he denied saying that how can they manage their > business if all of them are tailors!! It is only to stitch and repair their > clothes they are asking us sewing machines and not all of them are tailors > by profession. > - Even for school he didn't accept that there is the requirement of > benches though I mentioned that we have seen that the benches are not in > good condition. > - He suggested that if we are so serious to work for the village or for > the people we should stay for few days and sort things out. When I > mentioned > that we did have that thought also in mind and are considering staying in > Montessory school, he said that there is a govt. guest house (not sure if > it > is social welfare department's or collectorate related) and he can give > that > for two to three days. > - Coming to NREGS scheme, he said that there are stipulated guidelines > and it is very difficult to measure the work (cleaning the slush and all) > and give money. Cleaning the streets and repairing the homes do not satisfy > the rules and guidelines of the scheme. > > Regarding water filter, Collector didn't show any interest it seems and he > placed that in the social welfare office and asked the employees to start > using it and give their feedback. He is saying that the size is too small to > consider giving an order for all the residential hostels under his control. > > This is all from my end. I feel that we can distribute family kits to all > those families (stove, mat, clothes, mosquito net) and provide material > support to the selected families. > > Coming to taking leave and spending time in villages, there is no chance > for me now. I cannot think of leave till this year end as I got some > important work with a strict deadline at office. I am open to visiting > villages during alternate weekends. > > (Though the universe conspires in fulfilling our wishes, god is above and > beyond anything. Somehow HE always disposes our proposals :( We cannot > question HIM for HE doesn't do anything without a reason. Only thing is we > can never understand that reason for our life time!!) > > -- Thanks & Regards Satya Krishna. M TMAD - Hyderabad +91 99666 85666
