FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

Volume-18

Communicate Minds
31 July 2005 FORTNIGHTLY

ADVISORS
Khirod Ch. Malick Pitabash Sethi Jogeswar Majhi Makardhawj Sahu Shiv Prasad Meher Aurobinda Mahapatra Pradeep Kumar Mohanty

FIRST FLOOD AT SAMBALPUR

An incessant rain in the night of July 29th over flooded Dhobijore, which inundated Dasmati colony and adjoining area in the early hours of July 30th. This flash flood was the outcome of water logging due to closed sluice gates of Dhobijore at Balibandha on Mahanadi. This flash flood also caused immense trouble to the Housing Board Colony residents. The hue and cry of the desperate habitants of the affected area went unheard till it was personally intimated to the Sambalpur Sub-Collector over phone. Even an earlier emergency call to the control room functioning at the Collectorate could not provide respite to the desperate lot. Ultimately the Sambalpur Sub-Collector came to their rescue as his immediate intervene forced the Balibandha sluice gates open and let the flood water of Dhobijore receded to Mahanadi. Prior to it the habitats at Dasmati colony where partially submerged and their was waist deep water started flowing on the streets. This flash flood made the BISWA office an island for sometime. There was another downpour in the afternoon of July 30th , which once again flooded the Dasmati Colony area. This time their distress call reached to the ears of the Collector and he came to their rescue. His commanding order once again let the Balibandha sluice gates open and flood water recede. This was the first experience of flood at Sambalpur this year.

In this Issue...
* Editorial

* First flood at Sambalpur * Flood relief work by us * Case Study * Participation in exhibition * Other BISWA News

The Link
Chief-Editor Debabrata Malick Editor Guru Prasad Nahak

Contact :The Link BISWA At-Danipali P.o-Budharaja Dist-Sambalpur, PIN-768004 Tele fax- +91-663-2533597 FAX No.: +91-663-2402115
Email:biswamalick@rediffmail.com

RUMOUR HAS NO-LEG

Some unscrupulous elements tried to spread a rumour onJuly 28th that the BISWA office was raided by vigilance department and seized lacs of rupees in cash. It was even tried to prevail upon the local press to pickup the event for publication. But our competent and vigilant press soon found out that it is a false and baseless news. In such a way the ill-design of those unscrupulous elements could not succeed and died a natural death

kc_malick@yahoo.com www.biswa.org

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EDITORIAL

FLOOD SITUATION REVIEW

The sudden downpour causing a flash flood in the adjoining banks residential area of Dhobijore alarm the district administration in the afternoon of July 30th, while a preparatory meetings on Independence Day was going on at the Collectorate. Sri Vishal Gagan, District Magistrate & Collector, Sambalpur convened an emergency meeting to review the prevailing flood situation in the district, wherein all the online concerned officers participated. BISWA on behalf of NGO sector also participated in it. Its Chairman Sri K.C.Malick and PRO Sri S.P.Meher represented the Organisation and put forth their views in the meeting. The recent rain component in the district was reviewed block by block. The main concerned of the meeting was to review prevailing flood situation at Sambalpur. It was unanimously agreed in the meeting that the utter negligence of Dhobijore, which is the lifeline in the drainage system at Sambalpur, has resulted in such an awful situation. It was also felt that the Sambalpur Municipality has failed in delegating its duty to clean the Dhobijore streams bed before the onset of monsoon. Ultimately it was decided in the meeting that some immediate step is to be taken to clean the Dhobijore stream bed. The Collector as the chairperson of the meeting entrusted BISWA to do the immediate needful to sooth the situation. Accepting the challenge to remove the impedance on the way to make Dhobijore stream flow uninterrupted. The work started the very next morning and the district administration kept on monitoring the ongoing work in a day-to-day basis. A team of highly skilled persons with proven courage and ability were engaged to deliver the goods in this mission. As a result of it no subsequent flood was experience in the following days, even though their was several down pours after the incident of first flash flood at Sambalpur.

t is the usual practice in a civil society to provide help by able lot to the disabled in their needy hours. It should come voluntarily, with out any duress from any quarter. That is the role of a Voluntary Organization, presently better known as Non Governmental Organization. That is the real pleasure to tender a helping hand to a needy one. Draught, flood earthquake and cyclone are some of the wrath of nature shown on the Earth. In such hours of distress, none can justify its role, unless exceptional courage displayed. This courage comes from the strength of mind and core of heart, where no imposition takes place. The Government and its administration are duty bound to act as per the needs of the society, let it be in a developmental mode or a relief mode. But it has its own limitations. It has to function in its formal ways with fulfilling its formalities. On the other hand the volunteers can fathom any depth to deliver relief in the needy hours. Volunteers can take any risk, which might be forbidden to the administration. So that is the upper hand of the volunteers, what the administration lacks. Functioning in social sectors, we volunteers cannot ignore the screams of the distressed people. This voluntary service must be up to mark, which should attract appreciation form the society. Then only we may claim to live in a civil society.

OUR PARTICIPATION IN EXHIBITION

Laxmipriya,the sales outlet of BISWA, participated in an exhibition at Gurujad Kalakshestram, Vizag, from July 7 th to 16 th, 2005, organized by Director of Handicraft, Bhubaneswar. This exhibition held for the first time at Vizag city, and the focus was only to display the Handicrafts of Orissa. The most eyecatching items displayed in the exhibition were Bamboo products, Wall decorative items & Brass metal works. Mrs. Purnima Maheswari, Marketing Executive, participated on behalf of BISWA. Another exhibition was held simultaneously at Bholanath Vidyapith, Puri, on the occasion of Rathayatra of Lord Sri Jagannath from July 7th to 16th, 2005. In this exhibition all the displayed items were highly appreciated by the visitors.

FLOOD RELIEF WORK BY BISWA

flash flood in the wee hours of Sunday, July 31st forced many inhabitants of low area in Sambalpur to take shelter at camps organized by district administration. Initially three camps were identified Sri Guru Nanak Public School, Ashapali U.P School & Sindhi Dharmasala, but the last one was abandoned. So finally the two camps have to bear the rush of helpless shelter takers. The district administration urged BISWA to arrange cooked foods for the camps. And emergent meeting was called on at BISWA office to arrange volunteers for the camps. A team of Anusuya,Rahil, Rajasini,Trilochan and Philimon in the leadership of Sameer rushed to take charged at Ashapali U.P. School camp. Similarly another team of Guru Prasad, B.Hota & Deepak in the leadership of Lingaraj took charge at SGN School camp. Another team of Aurobinda, Duryodhan, Dharmendra, Mamata, Bhabani, Shivprasad, Pradeep in the leadership of K.C.Malick, Chairman, BISWA, coordinated the whole relief operation from the central office. Dry ration consisting rice and dal was provided by the district administration. BISWA provided potato, onion, cooking oil, salt and masala along with cooking utensil for the cooking operation at the camps. Volunteers from BISWA did the cooking and serving, of course. An official team on behalf of the administration supervised the entire relief operation, wherein ADM, Sub-Collector, Tehsildar and Additional Tehsildar took active participation. Sri Vishal Gagan, Collector & District Magistrate was in the command of whole operation, who could find time to visit the camps while coordinating the operation from the control room. The Emergency Officer was assisting him at the control room. The cooked lunch in the shape of Bhat & Dalma was served to the shelter takers at the camps. This operation at SGN School camp was concluded by 3P.M in the afternoon, while the same was continued till evening at Ashapali U.P. School camp, as it was crowded for holding inmates of abandoned Sindhi Dharamsala camp. Some cooked food found surplus at the earlier camp was shifted to the later camp by a car from BISWA. The whole operation was highly appreciated by the public as well as the administration.

SUCESS STORY
Surrounded by deep forest, Nua Balanda is a village in Nua-Barangamal GP of Jujumora block, Sambalpur district. The inhabitation comprises of 151 households, where the primary livelihood is agriculture and collection of minor forest produces. As a subsidiary livelihood, many of the community members indulge in Biri Rolling. The village was devoid of many governmental and non governmental development schemes owing to lack of communication facilities. One of the households goes to Shantilata Mirdha. The household comprises of 12 members, out of which 10 are earning members. Though the number of earning members is high, the cumulative earnings are not enough to meet their both ends.Rajeswari Mirdha, an organiser of BISWA and Mrs. J. Rao, Vice President of BISWA, convened NAME: SHANTILATA MIRDHA a meeting of the women in which Shantilata participated. The topic BISWA SHG Nua Balanda Group No. 1 centered around the-then socioeconomic condition of the village and what could be done to bring about a positive change through SHG. Shantilata was inspired by the meeting and as a result of it she, canvassed another 14 women to resolve themselves into an SHG in her personal capacities. Finally the SHG came into existence on 21.09.2003. They decided to save Rs. 10/- weekly. As the group started its internal credit activities, Shantilata could take a loan of Rs 500/- to purchase and rear ducklings. Her happiness was leaps & bounds when she sold the ducks and earned a handsome profit.Later on the SHG availed a loan of Rs. 31,500/- from BISWA, from which Santilata borrowed Rs. 4,000/- and opened a small provision store in the village (till then the village did not have one). It was a well identified avenue and the enterprise has yielded desirable results in shape of a regular income. This has enhanced her social status along with ensuring food security & capacity to meet other cash needs. Now she commands respects from fellow community members. Upon being interviewed, she accredited BISWA for this metamorphosis.

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Ticket

To,

BISWA organized an awareness cum motivation campaign on Total Sanitation & Environment Protection at Machhadihi High School, Machhadihi M.E School, Attabira High School, Palsada

Tele-fax- 0663-2533597(O)

The Link

BISWA

Dist-Sambalpur

P.O-Budharaja

High School, Katarbaga High School, Panchagama U.P School, in Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district. In this motivation campaign our experts sensitized about the importance of good health & hygienic habits and its effect on our day-to-day life. Both students and parents participated in large numbers in the campaign. They promised to have a latrine in each household. Our team in the leadership of Sri Jogeswar Majhi, Chief Advisor, BISWA, put their endeavor to make the campaign successful.

PIN-768004

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At-Danipali

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TOTAL SANITATION CAMPAIGN IN JHARSUGUDA DISTRICT

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PRINTED M AT T E R

Printed and Published by Debabrata Malick, Chief Editor. The Link, at BISWA Computer Section, Danipali, Sambalpur. PIN- 768150 Ph. No- 0663-2533597

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