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Calamity

people, caused extensive damage to rehabilitation during natural calamities, floods, cyclones and earthquakes and
standing crops, fruit orchards, vegeta- especially cyclones, in Odisha’s Ganjam help people of their locality.
ble crops, plantation crops and various district, according to Collector Vijay The trained volunteers will be pro-
other cash crops. It also caused severe Amruta Kulange. Members of Women vided two pairs of uniform to be used
damage to assets and infrastructure in Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) in the age during natural calamities. To keep them
the farmlands. group of 18 to 35 of this cyclone-prone active and ready as peer leaders during
Patnaik said school examination region will be roped in. evacuation, rehabilitation and restora-
fees up to high school level in govern- After facing Phailin, Hudhud and tion during natural calamities, they will
ment schools will be waived in the af- Titli cyclones in the past, Ganjam es- be involved in different developmental
fected areas. He announced that two caped the wrath of Fani. It has always schemes of the government like MGN-
extra pairs of school uniforms will be faced cyclones in October. By that time, REGA, housing projects for poor and
provided in the extremely affected ar- Ganjam will be well prepared through distribution of food materials through
eas and one extra pair in the severely these trained women volunteers, a PDS.
affected areas to the children up to el- senior official has reportedly said. A de- A control room of ‘swayamsiddha’
ementary school level. tailed report for this project is almost will operate at district headquarters
The chief minister launched a web ready. According to officials involved, Chatrapur to coordinate and manage
portal to seek support in the aftermath training of WSHG members is expected these trained volunteers of WSHGs
of the cyclone. The website — rebuild. to start from June this year. of Ganjam. According to Kulange,
odisha.gov.in — has been developed for Ganjam district has around 22,000 the Kerala government used WSHGs
crowd funding of various projects in active WSHGs in its rural and urban successfully in rehabilitation and res-
the cyclone-affected areas. Through the areas. “Under this project selected toration work after the floods it faced
portal, a person can directly donate for members from each WSHG will un- last year.
restoration of schools and shelters and dergo a special training by personnel The WSHG movement has been
support the homeless. Contributions of police, fire services, Odisha Disaster quite successful in Ganjam district and
can also be made to the chief ministers Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and other penetrated to the grassroots. Taking this
relief fund on the website. key departments of the administration”, into account, the BJD had fielded 68-
said Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Ku- year-old WSHG leader Pramila Bisoi as
Self-help groups lange. They will also be trained in basic its candidate in the Aska parliamentary
Under a special project named ‘sway- rescue measures, first aid and proper constituency of the district.
amsiddha’, women will be trained in documentation of losses. Through
evacuation, rescue, restoration and this training they will be ready to face letters@tehelka.com

• Centre assists Modi has announced
1000 crore assistance for Odisha

Tehelka / 31 may 2019 00 www.Tehelka.com