Risk Wise

and NGO sources) generally reaches the affected community after a

week. Amidst the flood emergency backdrop, DRRF has been proven

to work as a cushion for flood victims.

A Disaster Management Committee (DMC) has been formed in all 20

villages that have members from the vulnerable community. Each DMC

comprises 10-12 members including one to three women. The DMC, on

being capacitated, becomes the custodian of DRR knowledge, particularly

from an applied point of view. It propagates knowledge of early warning

and safety measures, directs taskforce rescue operations, monitors relief

operations and takes up local level advocacymeasures like compensation

packages, damage assessment and embankment safetymeasures with the

administration.

While disseminating knowledge to the community, the DMC in

facilitation with the project team adds value to indigenous knowledge

and community coping mechanisms, such as drying up cow dung

paste for fuel during the flood season and the preparation of earthen

hearths, locally made earthen and bamboo containers on a raised

platform for grain storage etc. The DMC also monitors the smooth

functioning of the various task forces during the emergency, such as

warning, rescue, first Aid, shelter and relief. However, the project

team also facilitates the capacity building exercises of the taskforces

on a regular basis in the normal season.

During the 2007 flood the task force in coordination with DMC

evacuated 135 families in Bhadwar village. Seven people from

Bhadwar and Sivarampur villages were saved from drowning in the

Kamla Balan river. The Government of India has recommended that

DMCs should be part of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) to take

part in disaster management planning and implementation.

Consequently, the EFICOR project team has advocated that the exist-

ing DMCs should be part of the respective Panchayat committees.

An alternative cropping pattern was introduced to diversify liveli-

hoods. A local paddy variety called Aghani has been piloted, which is

sown in March and harvested in June before the advent of the flood

season. Farmers in north Bihar traditionally opt for a high yielding paddy

variety that will not withstand heavy flood. If successful this attempt to

revive the local variety will ensure food grain security for farmers despite

flooding. The project has also been piloting a wheat variety that in the

recent harvest gave a hike in the yield rate of about 50 per cent per acre.

However, creating wider acceptance among the farming

community in the area remains a challenge.

The project, in sync with the participatory planning

process, has set up mitigation structures like evacuation

routes, tube wells on high-raised platforms to save them

from being contaminated during floods, culverts for

floodwater drainage, rescue kits, engine-driven fibre

boats and multi-purpose flood shelters. In the recent

2007 Bihar flood, the multi-purpose shelter at Gandharin

village sheltered about 80 families for about seven days.

The DRR intervention, albeit a recent initiative, has

given EFICOR an edge on macro level advocacy by facil-

itating access to policy-making bodies like the National

Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of the

Government of India. DRR lessons are presented to the

NDMA through an NGO taskforce, preparing flood guide-

lines to be implemented by the state government. The

project’s experience suggests that well planned DRR initia-

tives, with community capacity-building backed up by

common minimum governance measures, can establish a

resilient community with minimum loss of life and liveli-

hood. May this endeavour be a stepping stone towards a

dignified life for the flood affected community in Bihar

and the rest of India.

[

] 82

Bhadwar, a flood affected village

Image: EFICOR, DRR Project, Madhubani, Bihar

DMC members at Bhadwar village

Image: EFICOR, DRR Project, Madhubani, Bihar

DMC collecting DRR funds in Bhadwar village

Image: EFICOR, DRR Project, Madhubani, Bihar