Seeds India NGO builds houses for 20 flashflood-hit poor familie

The Newz Radar

MANDI: Heavy rainfall in July and August 2023 led to the devastation of land and house for 20 impoverished families in Patrighat and Gahara panchayats of Mandi district due to landslides.

These families had then sought refuge in homes of neighboring villagers and nearby government institutions during the intense downpour.

Due to complexities in government relief and rehabilitation rules and reports from revenue officials, these poor and Scheduled Caste individuals were denied government aid. However, during these challenging times, NGO Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) stepped in to assist these families through its Ashray India Response Project.
SEEDS identified 20 families in Patrighat and Gahara panchayats of Sarkaghat subdivision in Mandi district, who not only lost their homes but also their means of livelihood. Manu Gupta, co-founder of SEEDS, highlighted that immediate temporary shelters were provided to these extremely needy families during the winter season. The focus was on arranging shelters in the affected forest land area, not only to provide relief from the severe cold but also to address future disasters.

Through collaboration with local village heads and communities, SEEDS conducted a comprehensive survey to select these families based on their marginalised status in society. The temporary shelters not only met the immediate needs of the people but also served as a learning platform for homeowners to acquire construction-related skills.

In consultation with local panchayats and on-ground assessments, SEEDS identified essential projects to address the natural crisis. Panchayat heads Vidhi Chand and Ruplal from Patrighat and Gahara shared the severe devastation faced by both panchayats in August last year, where homes, land and livestock were washed away, leaving many without shelter.

They explained that as these families had built homes in the forest land, no compensation was given to them under the disaster. SEEDS intervened by constructing temporary 18 by 18 feet rooms for these extremely poor families in both panchayats, using insulation sheets to maintain uniform room temperatures. Beneficiaries included Prem Kumar, Surjan Ram, Nanak Chand, Roshan Lal, Gulab Singh, Bhup Chand, Roshan Sharma, Majnu Ram and Chandermani.