By Somnath Mukherji,
Very few things are certain on Nirmal Char in Murshidabad other than the annual rising of Padma to submerge the homes made of dried jute sticks. Even the earth below one’s feet is uncertain – entire villages have subsided during the monsoons.
Homes on the Char are made of dried jute sticks. Roofs leak continuously in the monsoons without plastic or tin.
Five to seven thousand families live on Nirmal Char – a large slice of land left behind by a shifting Padma. In the monsoons the high water rushing through the old course as well as the new course floods the Char. Families who have relatives elsewhere flee others brave the waters on rooftops or other mechanisms along with their cattle. Marriages and births are regulated by the floods for there is no way for the marooned people to reach any hospitals or health centers.
The soil on the Char is not very fertile because of the thick layer of sand that used to be the riverbed, right beneath the topsoil. Families are able to grow just enough vegetables for subsistence.
The floods were particularly severe in August 2011 when AID supported relief work by SKMUK with help from Mandra. The relief team reached out to the marooned people on a rented boat with relief material including tarpaulins, halogen tablets, bleaching powder and pressed rice. Despite several requests and a face-to-face meeting with the District Magistrate, the administration could not be persuaded to acknowledge the critical condition in several villages. Consequently the help from the Govt was minimal. During my recent visit along with SKMUK & Mandra workers, I learned that ours was the only relief that reached the people in distress.
While travelling through the villages we found several women digging soil and putting it around their homes to raise the plinth heights in anticipation of the monsoons – back breaking work after taking care of the household and children. Most men in the area migrate seasonally in search of work.
“This is how high the water rose in the last flood”. She will spend the next 2 months bringing soil from outside to raise the level of her home.
This year we are in the process of discussing with the small clusters of homes in Giridharipur to figure out what can be done so that the families are slightly better prepared for the tough times in terms of safety from flood waters, food and drinking water security and some communication in events of health emergency.
Some people have raised their homes to a safe height and the trees hold the soil. But it has taken about 20 years.
The area of Notun Rajapur on the Char is especially precarious. Being surrounded by the Padma on all 3 sides, they suffer from a higher degree of uncertainty. It seemed to be a cruel question when we asked how they were preparing to deal with the expected floods. They responded that they might have to flee this year and at best they could stay another 3 years. The calculation had many more dimensions to it. As they explained, besides the fickle river the BSF camps, meant to secure Indian citizens, add yet another level of insecurity. If the camp moves, the village has to move maintaining a safe distance. Women are especially vulnerable.
Since a Panchayat member was present at the discussion, we requested her to see if some of the work of cutting soil for raising the homes could be supported under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Emply. Gurantee Act), she said they did not have any such order.
“What about planting tree? That could give the families a source of much needed income,” asked another worker.
An improvised boat for the bad times.
“The Panchayat thinks it is a waste of money to do anything long term on the Char,” the member replied.
A woman standing silently till now burst out – “ The Govt. spends crores of Rupees in dumping boulders along the banks which vanish into the river every year – that is not wasting money. When something has to be done for the poor like us, it is always a waste of money”.
Somnath Mukherji is a volunteer with Association for India’s Development (http://www.aidindia.org )