XYLEM WATERMARK Final Report May 29, 2015

Transcription

1 XYLEM WATERMARK Final Report May 29, 2015 India Gowhar Bhat/Mercy Corps PROGRAM TITLE: Kashmir Valley Flood Response PROJECT SITE: Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, Northern India PROJECT DURATION: October 1, 2014 March 31, 2015 In September 2014, heavy rains fell on Indiaadministered Kashmir Valley, causing massive flooding and major damage to the valley s infrastructure. Thanks to Xylem Watermark s generous support, almost six thousand flood-affected households benefited from access to adequate safe drinking water, toilets and hygiene kits. GRANT AMOUNT: $130,000 MERCY CORPS CONTACT: Allison Morris Director, Corporate Partnerships [email protected] Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 1

2 Summary Thanks to support from Xylem Watermark, Mercy Corps was able to assist 5,869 households (almost 2,000 more than the targeted number) in floodaffected communities in the Kashmir Valley region to secure safe drinking water, sanitary toilets and hygiene kits. Close to 20,000 people gained access to clean water, close to 17,000 people received hygiene kits and water filters, and 2,322 people benefited from safe and sanitary toilets. During an extremely difficult and potentially dangerous time, Xylem Watermark s support enabled Mercy Corps to distribute critical supplies and help protect tens of thousands of peoples health and well-being. Table #1: XYLEM WATERMARK KASHMIR VALLEY FLOOD RESPONSE BENEFICIARY OVERVIEW Item Households Male Female Children Total Hygiene kits ,731 1,781 1,834 8,346 Water filters ,590 2,647 3,347 8,584 Water supply 3300 X X X 19,800 Toilet support ,322 Mercy Corps team members collect household information from a beneficiary in the outskirts of Srinagar. Total No. of Households 5,869 Total No. of Beneficiaries 39,052 Background In early September 2014, Indian-administered Kashmir Valley suffered incessant torrential rainfall, which triggered one of the worst floods the region has witnessed in more than a century. The continuous rains resulted in the swelling of streams, rivulets, and the Jhelum River the major watercourse that traverses through the entire Kashmir Valley from south to northwest. On September 5, the river swelled beyond its capacity, flooding nearby areas and resulting in massive destruction to life and property. The deadly floods destroyed homes and livelihoods, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. According to the state government, 282 people died and 403 were injured across Jammu and Kashmir. Over 2 million people were affected, many of whom fled their homes taking nothing but the clothes they were wearing, and sought refuge in temporary shelters, where the threat of deadly diseases was highly prevalent. Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 2

3 A large part of Kashmir Valley was submerged in water for more than a week. The swirling floodwaters left roads and buildings severely damaged, disrupted water supply and electricity, washed away agricultural land, devastated crops, and killed thousands of livestock across the region. The floods damaged 723,000 hectares of agricultural land, causing heavy losses to crops. The damage to Kashmir s apple industry alone was estimated at 10 billion Indian Rupees ($160 million). The government also reported that 61,326 livestock died across the state due to the floods. Additionally, 6,910 Kilometers of road, 559 bridges, 3,063 Public Health Engineering (PHE) schemes, 6,423 irrigation works and schemes, 4,202 substations, and 6,466 other buildings also suffered damages. Srinagar the capital city of India-administered Kashmir was among the worst hit areas, as this is where the Jhelum River burst its banks with fast-moving floodwaters. More than 90,000 houses were damaged and 500,000 people were displaced in the city. Transport routes and telecommunication networks were severely disrupted, which kept the emergency relief supplies from reaching those in need. As residents were trapped inside their houses and on rooftops of buildings, they found themselves scrambling for food, clean water, medicines and fuel. Major hospitals remained flooded and non-functional for more than one month while those that were functional faced acute shortages of medications and other supplies. A number of water-supply systems were rendered dysfunctional across the Kashmir Valley. Moreover, the contaminated, stagnant waters heightened the risk and transmission of water-borne diseases among the flood-affected population. Mercy Corps has been working in India since With its team stationed in Srinagar, Mercy Corps was one of the earliest responders to the September 2014 flood disaster, initiating its emergency response on September 7, Support from Xylem Watermark was critical in enabling us to provide early assistance to the most affected populations. Flood Response Activities 1. Assessment and Beneficiary Selection Mercy Corps conducted rapid needs assessments immediately after flooding in both Bemina and Batmaloo localities in Srinagar city. The assessments revealed that apart from shelter and food needs, there was an immediate need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) interventions among the flood-hit communities. Clean drinking water was urgently needed as all the major water schemes were either damaged or submerged under the floodwater. All other alternate water sources such as ponds, streams, rivulets and tube wells were inundated and contaminated. People were reliant on gathering water from mobile water tankers or collecting it from open sources such as ponds and streams which health authorities had issued strict warnings against due to contamination. Sanitation was another major issue, with most toilets destroyed or unusable, leaving people with no other option but to defecate in open areas. With timely support from Xylem Watermark, Mercy Corps team in Kashmir was able to respond to the immediate and emergency WASH needs of thousands of flood-affected people as soon as the funds were committed. Mercy Corps conducted extensive outreach in the flood-affected communities. In consultation with various stakeholders including community heads, Snapshot of a beneficiary card distributed among project beneficiaries. Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 3

4 community elders, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) members, Masjid Committee members and representatives from youth committees, the team identified and selected the worst-hit households in various localities of Srinagar, following the pre-defined selection criteria summarized below: 1. Households whose houses had been damaged by the floods and faced shortage of drinking water. 2. Households who lacked access to basic hygiene facilities due to the damage to household items and toilets, and were therefore exposed to various health risks. Among these households, further preference was given to: 1. Women/widow-headed households. 2. People living below the poverty line. 3. Orphans/handicapped or other vulnerable families. 4. Elderly people with multiple disadvantages. Once the beneficiaries were identified and selected, Mercy Corps distributed beneficiary cards to each. These beneficiary cards carried basic household information such as age, number of family members, number of male and females per household, number of children, and information about people with special needs. Beneficiaries produced these cards at the distribution of relief materials. The team also developed a distribution list, which was signed by each beneficiary after receiving the relief material. The community heads and community elders further certified/stamped the distribution lists in each locality. This certification authenticated the distribution of relief materials in the targeted localities, helping to ensure that relief materials reached the most vulnerable and at-need communities impacted by the disaster. 2. Provision of Safe Drinking Water The floodwaters carried with them a large amount of silt and garbage, which contaminated water resources and caused widespread damage to the piped water supply system. As a result, tens of thousands of people lacked access to clean drinking water. Mercy Corps emergency response team, along with volunteers, distributed safe drinking water to 3,300 households in some of the worst affected localities of Srinagar and its outskirts, including Batmaloo, Bemina, Soibug and Rakh-e-Arath. The team facilitated the distribution of safe drinking water through mobile water tankers and water storage tanks for three weeks after the floods, filling a crucial gap before government agencies were able to restore the piped water supply. Over 19,800 individuals gained access to safe drinking water through this intervention. Distribution of safe drinking water in localities where water supply systems were damaged by the floods. Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 4

5 2.1 Distribution of Water Filters The project team identified and selected 1,200 households in 29 localities of Srinagar, including the interiors of Dal Lake, where entire neighborhoods were submerged under floodwaters for nearly three weeks. In these localities, water supply was scarce and whatever little water reached the houses (through piped and nonpiped means) was highly contaminated. Health officials warned of water-borne diseases in these localities and implored people through media to consume water only after boiling and filtering it. To improve both access to and quality of drinking water, Mercy Corps procured and distributed water filters among all 1,200 households. The 15-liter capacity water filters were capable of meeting the drinking water needs of an average household for over six months before requiring a filter replacement. The project team, in Mercy Corps distributed water filters among households which faced threat of water borne diseases due to nonavailability of safe drinking water. consultation with WASH experts, demonstrated to the community members how to fit, install and use the water filters. Mercy Corps had initially planned to distribute 1,000 water filters. However, the vendors provided the goods at concession rates since they were being distributed as relief items among the flood-affected communities. This allowed the team to procure 200 additional units and reach 200 additional households. 2.2 Distribution of Hygiene Kits The stagnant floodwaters in the residential areas, which took around three weeks to recede, posed a significant threat of water borne diseases. To promote and maintain hygiene among communities, Mercy Corps emergency response team distributed hygiene kits among 1,000 flood-affected households in 16 different localities in Srinagar city. These proved to be useful in supporting the daily hygiene needs of our beneficiary families, especially for women and children. Each household, with an average of five to six family members, received one hygiene kit that included a 20-liter bucket with lid, a plastic mug, bathing soap (5 pcs), detergent soap (4 pcs), sanitary napkins (2 packets), ladies underwear (3 pcs), washable baby napkins (5 pcs), 100gm toothpaste (1 pack), toothbrush (4 pcs), and a towel (1 pc). In order to prevent the outbreak of diseases, disinfectants were also distributed among these households. Mercy Corps distributed the hygiene kits at central points in the selected communities, such as near a school or Mercy Corps volunteer hands over a hygiene kit to an elderly beneficiary in Srinagar. community hall, which were easily accessible to all. The distribution was supervised by senior Mercy Corps staff as well as the community elders. Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 5

6 Table #2: SAFE DRINKING WATER PROVISION DISTRIBUTION Item Male Female Children Total 1,000 Hygiene Kits 4,731 1,781 1,834 8,346 1,200 Water Filters 2,590 2,647 3,347 8,584 Total Number of Beneficiaries 16, Public Health Promotion To protect individuals from the likely outbreak of communicable diseases, extensive public health activities were conducted by the project team on disease prevention. These included education and information about general hygiene and sanitation practices, and training of community volunteers on hygiene promotion to protect communities from diseases and illness. During the initial days of the response, Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief India (RedR India) conducted trainings on basic health and hygiene issues at the University of Kashmir; twelve members of the Mercy Corps team including staff, community mobilisers and volunteers attended the training. During distribution of hygiene materials, Mercy Corps team educated people about safe hygiene practices. 4. Safe and Adequate Toilets The project team facilitated construction of 369 toilets in Batmaloo, Bemina, Kanihama, Magarmal Bagh and Mandar Bagh localities of Srinagar, following a similar beneficiary selection process as outlined above. To facilitate the construction and restoration of toilets, the team distributed construction materials such as commodes, cement, flush mechanisms, sanitary pipes, and overhead tanks to 369 households, and supervised or monitored construction for 40% of the facilities. The toilets not only ensured better hygiene and sanitation among these households, but also protected vulnerable groups such as women, young girls and children from a number of health risks. By the end of the project, approximately 2,322 1 individuals gained access to toilets. 5. Program Coordination Mercy Corps was part of the GO-NGO (Government and Non-government Organizations) coordination, which was led by Sphere India, throughout the course of the A newly constructed toilet by Mercy Corps at Batmaloo, in Srinagar. program. Mercy Corps regularly attended the GO-NGO coordination meetings and shared activity updates about its emergency response (both work completed and work planned) with all partner NGOs in the field using a 1 This includes 798 males, 698 females and 826 children. Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 6

7 standard URS (Unified Response Strategy) Matrix. This helped to avoid duplication of efforts and ensured proper utilization of resources. Mercy Corps team members also regularly participated in meetings with government officials, including Deputy Commissioners, to coordinate relief efforts and share the project s progress, challenges, and future plans. Thank You The Mercy Corps team in Indiawishes to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Xylem Watermark for helping families in India-administered Kashmir to deal with the emergency situation in the aftermath of the floods. Through this grant, we were able to reach thousands of flood-affected and displaced people in need, providing an great example of what the Mercy Corps and Xylem Watermark partnership achieves at its best. 45 SW Ankeny Street Portland, Oregon mercycorps.org CONTACT ALLISON MORRIS Director Corporate Partnerships + Strategic Engagement [email protected] Kashmir Valley Flood Response: Final Report MERCY CORPS 7