August 14, 2019
In #StoryOfTheWeek, we focus on the plight of people with
disabilities in flood ravaged Kerala. With water levels showing no signs of
receding, lakhs of people are affected. The plight of disabled people is far
worse and ensuring that relief gets to them is proving to be a big
challenge.
God’s Own Country, Kerala, desperately needs divine intervention. Exactly one
year after Kerala witnessed the worst floods of the century, the state is
ravaged yet again. This time it’s North Kerala that’s affected.
This is happening just as the state was limping back to normalcy after the
2018 floods. Over 80 people have died and the disaster has brought forth just
how vulnerable people with disabilities are in such crisis situations. Given
the heightened risk they face, there’s a need for an inclusive disaster
management approach.
The lack of disability inclusion in Disaster Risk
Management is seriously worrying as the impact of natural disasters
is intensifying in India. This brings with it an urgent need to look at
putting inclusive policies into practice. Given that India has seen a major
rise in disasters and its large population, this is even more important.
This time too in Kerala, wheelchair users have been the most affected as they
have been unable to move out of their homes. While some NGOs like
Divyang Foundation are reaching out to them, the efforts are
simply not enough given the magnitude.
Prajith Jaipal, Founder of the Kozhikode-based Divyang
Foundation, says his NGO is helping out by providing food kits and clothes to
people with disabilities in relief camps.
This time, our main focus is to distribute food kits to people with
disabilities. We shall provide rice, sugar, tea, oils, salt and other basic
groceries in the kit. This is going to be a one-month programme where we
will identify beneficiaries and supply what they require. A few of us came
together to pool in money for the cause. We could distribute 20 kits in two
days and we are looking forward to supplying to more disabled people in
need. – Prajith Jaipal, Founder, Divyang Foundation.
Given the scale and extent of the disaster, relief distribution is proving to
be a challenge. “Most of the people came to know about food kits through
social media and WhatsApp groups”, says Prajith. “People contact us on phone
and we go to relief camps or homes to distribute it. Yesterday, we visited
Koyilandy and Feroke which are badly affected and we are still getting
calls”.
Another organisation that is reaching out to the community is the All
Kerala Wheelchair Rights Federation (AKWRF) which is working in
collaboration with Thanal Palliative Care. They are moving
wheelchair users to camps or homes of their close relatives.
“We shifted 10 wheelchair users in areas like Eloor,Kalamassery and Aluva
which had flood warnings”, says Rajeev Palluruthy, Secretary,
AKWRF. Unlike last year, this time the organisations did not wait
before moving them. “Most of them were shifted to their relatives’ homes
because the camps lack facilities. We also gave them food kits worth ₹
5,000”.
Disability rights activist Unni Maxx who is based in
Muvattupuzha, was active in relief and rescue works during the 2018 floods
and says that this time the impact was lesser. “This year, the situation was
under control and we managed to access relief kits that were sent to
beneficiaries in North Kerala”.
However, when you hear the stories of people affected, you realise how the
lack of an inclusive disaster management approach is affecting lives. Take
Mohammad Rafi. “Water had almost entered my home and I
shifted to my mother’s home before it got worse”, recalls Mohammed, who is a
wheelchair user and lives in Kozhikode. “Last year during floods, we faced a
similar situation and approached the government for help but was told that
unless I am at a relief camp, I won’t be given financial aid or relief. With
my disability, I am unable to stay at a camp”.
Badarusaman Moorkanad is from Malappuram, one of the worst
affected areas. He was forced to move out to a relative’s place after the
flood waters rose. “I came back home yesterday to find my entire home under
water. Now, we are working on cleaning it. I do not want to get any infection
due to this unhygienic water in my home. But we have got no help from the
government and I had to rely on local people to help me shift. During such
crisis times, the government must step in to make things easier for people
with disabilities”.
Concerns that the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (RPWD) Act
2016, which mandates the participation of people with disabilities
in the disaster risk management process, takes into account. Section 8 of the
Act says disabled people are entitled to equal protection and safety in
situations of risk, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. Given
this, it is incumbent upon governments, at the Centre and States to frame
measures that include people with disabilities.
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/kerala-floods-need-to-frame-inclusive-disaster-risk-management-policies
