Monitoring Disaster Response and Preparedness for Inclusion and Equity

National Dalit Watch-NCDHR
Monitoring Disaster Response and Preparedness for Inclusion and Equity
Interventions since inception
October ’09-March ’12

National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
8/1, 3rd Floor, South Patel Nagar
New Delhi-110008
Tel- 011 45668341, 45037897 Fax- 011 25852250
Website: www.ncdhr.org.in
www.nationaldalitwatch-ncdhr.blogspot.com

Interventions October ‘09-March ‘12

CONTENT
Words from the General Secretary

To the Reader

About NCDHR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why National Dalit Watch? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

National Dalit Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Premise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Inclusion monitoring studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Glimpse into Discrimination in Disasters . . . . . . . . . . 8

Promising practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

- Preparing for the survey: a collective process
- Advocacy & Lobby
- Vulnerability Mapping and Inclusion Monitoring
Main Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Reports & Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Dalit Watch in news-Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Way Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

NDW-National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights


Words from the General Secretary
Documented experiences of Super Cyclone in Orissa, Gujarat earthquake and Tsunami led to
the confirmation of the menace of caste based discrimination and exclusion being rooted in the
wider society and that it was at work even in the times of disasters. The assumption on which the
humanitarian agencies, federal and state authorities, and the general society operate, that
„disasters hit everyone equally‟ got shattered when we witnessed discrimination and exclusion of
Dalits in disaster relief and rehabilitation. The Dalits and marginalised sections are more
vulnerable to the effect of disasters for their already impoverished and outcast position in caste
and class divided society.

The need to evolve a tool or methodology became acute only after intervening in Bihar 2007
floods. The intervention in Bihar reconfirmed the experience of dalit exclusion during earlier
disasters. Resultantly, in 2007, a group of organisations came together and formed a network for
monitoring caste based discrimination during the 2007 and 2008 Kosi floods. And subsequently,
to monitor disasters and advocate for policy changes, National Dalit Watch (NDW) was
conceptualised and instituted in 2009.

Whatever the nature of disaster be, the tools have to be deployed to make sure that no
discrimination happens in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Other marginalised social groups, the
minorities are also susceptible to this form of exclusion. All the studies so far commissioned
under the NDW have helped us to develop a Vulnerability Mapping and Inclusion Monitoring
tool (VM-IM) to enable the Dalit communities to claim their right to risk reduction/recovery and
rehabilitation from the concerned authority.

I am aware of the fact that it is still difficult for our society and people in this humanitarian sector
to openly accept and challenge this dehumanising practice of caste based discrimination in
humanitarian sphere and in general. However, proactive developments in this direction are being
made at the international level, through various network partners of NCDHR. Advocacy by
International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) and Minority Rights Group International
(MRGI) at the UN levels have been phenomenal. It is the result of our collaborative efforts with
the key humanitarian players in India, such as Sphere India, Christian Aid, Dan Church Aid,
UNDP India and Cordaid that we to evolved the International Draft Guidelines for Addressing caste-
based discrimination in humanitarian aid, supported by IDSN and EU.

Through this report, we wish to share glimpses of the key work highlights from our DRR desk
from the time of its institution. I deeply acknowledge the work done by our extended self,
namely, Dalit Watch Bihar, Dalit Watch-Andhra Pradesh, Human Rights Forum for Dalit
Liberation-Karnataka, Rural Volunteers Centre in Assam and Action for Rural Upliftment and
Planning (ARUP) in Orissa. I also acknowledge the efforts and work of the national team in
New Delhi for their anchoring role of the entire unit.

I look forward to your feedback and suggestions to help us improve in our work

In solidarity,

N. Paul Divakar, General Secretary



TO THE READER
The period from October 2009-March 2012 is marked with numerous fast paced activities in the states
and at the NDW secretariat. The studies commissioned during this time period have demystified the
neutral approach of the state and humanitarian agencies in disasters by laying bare the hidden forms
(though visible enough to sensitive eyes) of discrimination and caste prejudices in different phases of
disaster management.

The issue defines the harsh reality of Discrimination by Default animate in our society. This compendium
presents the unkindest facts of the covert inhuman practices spreading its wings during emergency
situations. The report showcases the collaborative work done by the state counterparts and National
Dalit Watch together, ever since they recognised and acknowledged the menace in Tsunami and Kosi
floods. Together we decided to act against it, resulting in several important relief and rehabilitation
monitoring studies in recent disasters in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam (2009) and Delhi (2010).

The Promising Practices section highlights the essential preparatory work done for commissioning all
monitoring studies, the considerations borne in mind to make it all „inclusive‟ and Dalit led/facilitated.
Then will come some of the major steps and initiatives taken under the aegis NCDHR, facilitated by
NDW in making the state accountable and answerable to the plight of Dalits in disasters. At the same
time, this section will take you through the endeavours made to bring various disaster management
agencies, both government and humanitarian aboard on the issue. All this combined with the efforts
made to mobilise the media, to perform its designated role of building consciousness through its wide
reach.

The Activities section describes the efforts made towards engaging and dialoguing with the authorities at
the regional, state and national levels. This section also lists out the NDW Publications. The section
Glimpse into Discrimination in Disasters encapsulates some of the heart rending testimonies of the Dalit
survivors of reported disasters of the faulty approach of disaster management agencies. These
testimonies speak volumes for violation of Dalits‟ right to a dignified life.

We hope, as you delve further into the report, it will become clear why NCDHR decided to have an
initiative dedicated to overseeing the issue of Dalits in disaster, and what measures have been taken so
far, in sensitising the state and humanitarian agencies on the issue. The work done so far is just the
beginning, and has strengthened the foundation of the NDW to fight for the dignified lives and
entitlements of Dalits by aiming at inclusive policies acknowledging their vulnerability in disasters, thus
taking measures to build their resilience and preparedness to disasters.



ABOUT NCDHR
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) is an effort to galvanize movements into a
representation body that can collectively organize, educate, agitate and demand for ending
discrimination once and for all in both government and civil societies. NCDHR is a forum launched in
1998, committed to the elimination of discrimination based on caste. A democratic secular platform led
by Dalit women and men activists, with support and solidarity from movements and organizations,
academics, individuals, people‟s organizations and institutions throughout the country who are
committed to work to protect and promote human rights of Dalits.

NCDHR had been anchored in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Orissa, Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,
Assam, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry with the vision “To regain and establish the human dignity, rights and
security of Dalit Community”.

In its first phase, NCDHR undertook interventions for raising visibility of Dalit issues at various levels
and has managed to successfully raise the visibility of Dalit issues at the state, national and international
level. Some of the key achievements during this phase were:

- Massive Signature campaign with 25 lakh signatures submitted to the Prime Minister
- The UNWCAR Durban Conference of 2001
- Dalit Swadhikar Rally conceptualised during the Dalit Sector Consultation at Hyderabad, started
on 6 December 2003
- The Millennium Dalit Charter was released on 10th - 11th August 2005, at Jaipur, Rajasthan

In phase two, NCDHR‟s work was instrumental in bringing the kind of international attention and media
coverage, which has made many in India and around the world sit up and take notice of the injustice and
oppression faced by Dalits. To name just a few, NCHDR had been involved in events such as the World
Conference Against Racism in South Africa („01), all World Social Forums, the historic 40-day Dalit
Swadhikar Rally across India converging into World Social Forum in Mumbai („04), the first ever public
hearing on The Situation of the Dalits in India, at the European Parliament in Brussels (Dec ‟06), and the
first International Conference on the Human Rights of Dalit Women at the Hague (Nov ‟06). The
positive results of these efforts include the first-ever recognition of the Dalit Human Rights problem by
the United Nations (Aug 2001), the European Union (May „07), and the United States Congress (July
„07), important events which have increased international pressure on the Government of India to
address the serious Dalit issues it has up to now paid only lip-service to.

In phase three, NCDHR sought foremost to hold the State responsible for not checking the „impunity‟
being enjoyed by non-Dalits in the criminal justice administrative system. Specifically, we challenge the
State and its justice delivery mechanism, including the Human Rights institutions that are in place, to
actually implement and enforce its constitutional and legislative measures to safeguard, protect and
promote the basic human rights of Dalits. During this phase, the emphasis was on grass-roots
mobilization, linking and strengthening campaigns, alliance building, and systematic monitoring and
advocacy of atrocities against Dalits to pressure the Criminal Justice system to act.

1


WHY NATIONAL DALIT WATCH?
NCDHR learned of rampant caste discrimination during the Indian Ocean Tsunami in Tamil Nadu
(2004) and made visits to the affected regions, following which a comprehensive study was
conducted by *International Dalit Solidarity Network of Netherlands. Subsequent to the field visit a
National Public Hearing was jointly organized by together with Human Rights Forum for Dalit
Liberation (HRFDL) and Dalit Mannurimai Kootamaippu (DMK), on Discrimination against Dalits in
Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation, at Nungampakkam, Chennai, in August 2005. More than 1000
Dalit victims from the whole of Tamil Nadu participated in the Public Hearing. NGOs and other
Dalit organizations working in the coasts of Tamil Nadu also took part extensively.

Eventually, NCDHR took up many advocacy interventions together with HRFDL viz. appealing to
the governmental and non governmental bodies, reporting the situation and submitting memoranda
to high officials, organizing meetings, workshops, seminars and demonstrations to ensure that the
Tsunami-affected Dalits had an equal opportunity to rebuild their lives and communities. The
National Public Hearing was one of the major social action programmes to ensure justice to
Tsunami hit Dalit survivors.

The inspiration and motivation to initiate the NDW has undoubtedly emerged from the learning and
achievements of Dalit Watch – Bihar (DW-B). Initially with Dalit Samanway, a flash survey was
done in 1970 villages in 123 blocks in 11 districts which confirmed the discrimination. A platform
was formed with organizations and networks - Bchpan Bachao Andolan, Baarh Sukhad Mukti
Andolan, Dalit Samanway, Lokshakti Sangathan, and Nari Gunjan from Bihar, spearheaded and
supported by NCDHR and PRAXIS (Patna). DW-B monitored the status of inclusion of Dalit
communities in relief and rehabilitation, and came out with a report which described the serious
situation of the Dalits in all the flood affected districts, and exposed exclusion and discrimination all
along in 2007*. This was explored systematically and scientifically through a relief audit that
scanned 205 relief camps in five districts as well as a study on community managed disaster risk
reduction in September 2008*. These reports were perhaps the first of their kind and served as tools
of advocacy. The NDW works collaboratively with organizations striving for the protection of
human rights, and those particularly working for Dalit human rights during disaster situations.

* G. Timothy., ‘Making things Worse: How Caste-Blindness in an Indian Post
Tsunami recovery has exacerbated vulnerability and exclusion, (2007)
* http://www.indianet.nl/ncdhr_hearing.doc
*The Affected and the Relief & Rehabilitation-Status report on Bihar Flood, 2007
* For a Morsel of Life! (2008) 2


NATIONAL DALIT WATCH
Instituted to work at the national and state level, NDW is currently aligned OUR OBJECTIVES:-
with the like minded organisations working on the issue of
exclusion/inclusion in the flood prone states of Bihar, Assam, Andhra - ENSURE a truly inclusive
disaster preparedness
Pradesh and Karnataka for a truly inclusive and egalitarian disaster
mechanism;
response and preparedness. For this, NDW is working towards developing a
refined tools and methods to identify; expose and document this form of
- GET in place a just system
discrimination. of Recovery and
Rehabilitation;
Components of collaborative work with state counterparts have included
providing assistance in documentation, information dissemination,
- DEVELOP vulnerability
accompaniment to the field, periodic meetings, capacity building in latest mapping tool which would
disaster management techniques and practice of Community Managed also assist other
Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR), facilitation in state level advocacy, organizations in assessing
campaign and lobby. causes of vulnerability of
the socially excluded
NDW enables Dalits‟ rights organizations, local activists and the sections; &
community leadership in various parts of the country to effectively monitor
discrimination and exclusion during disasters. All this, with the objective of - ADVOCATE for policies
having inclusive policies and guidelines in place, by acknowledging the and legislation that
existence of Dalits and their vulnerability in disasters, owing to their social recognize discrimination
positioning. At the national level through advocacy and lobby means, which exists by default, and
NDW works towards instituting a policy environment that recognizes such thereby, make it imperative
for state and its agencies to
discrimination and defines entitlements of survivors in a manner that makes
have a special focus on the
the state accountable.
inclusion of Dalits and
other marginalized
Dalit Watch Bihar is a network of Dalit-focused organizations in Bihar, formed in response to communities in DRR.
the severe floods of 2007. The network comprises Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Baadh Sukhad
Mukti Andolan, Dalit Samanvay, Lok Shakti Sangathan, Nari Gunjan and Praxis (Patna).
Apart from disaster risk reduction work, these individual organisations work on child rights,
Dalit girls education (particularly of Musahar caste girls), land and water rights, right to
information and participatory approaches to sustainable development.

The Human Rights Forum for Dalit Liberation - Karnataka (HRFDL-K) members belong to the
Dalit community. Its Karnataka-based activists have been active members of various social
movements, particularly Dalit Sangharsh Samiti. It was conceived to accelerate the Dalit
struggle in Karnataka with a human rights perspective. The interventions include land
struggle, panchayat election campaign, campaign for justice in caste violence and violence
against Dalit women, right to education of Dalit children, food security, right to health
campaign, campaigns for SC/ST hostels, implementation of reservation especially in the WHOM WE WORK
private sector and struggle against the impacts of globalisation. WITH?
Rural Volunteers Centre, Assam is one of the leading grass roots organizations of North East
India committed towards promoting self-sustaining development initiatives, determined by
people‟s needs, choices and priorities and capitalizing on local skills and resources. The works
of RVC mainly focus on promoting appropriate technology, creating opportunities and spaces
for learning through practices of the local people, value addition to the traditional livelihood
practices, educating policy and promoting advocacy works.

Dalit Watch Andhra Pradesh is an amalgam of several community based, state and national
level organisations, namely, Sakshi Human Rights Watch, Dalit Bahujan Sramik Union .A.P.
(DBSU), Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya Foundation (MVF), Confederation of Voluntary
Associations (COVA), Bhavita, PARA, OOTA, ROADS, SAFE, PREACHERS, SPEAR,
and Indira Chaitanya Mahila Mandali. These constituents work on issues of Dalit economic
empowerment, implementation of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, women self help
groups, capacity building, child rights, education, agriculture and labour rights and so on.
3


2009-10

THE PREMISE
As said above, the key learning from the DW-Bihar experience of monitoring
the 2007 and 2008 floods formed the premise for NDW‟s work. These
THE MODUS OPERANDI learnings are:
- Capacity building of frontline staff with
1. Dalits live in secluded habitations outside the main village thus limiting
contemporary applications in CMDRR
and Monitoring, for inclusion of
their access to the mainstream society which is apt to have better access
excluded Dalit victims in disaster to information and infrastructure. By the very location of habitation they
recovery and rehabilitation have lower access to information, public education, disaster resilient
infrastructure or communication for immediate action.
- Inclusion monitoring (rapid assessment
and full fledged) studies during and 2. The livelihood situation of Dalits, dependent on wage labour coming
post disaster from working for the dominant castes, without assets, are particularly
vulnerable to hazards when their ability to access daily employment is
- Filing of RTI applications to gather affected. Any protracted lack of employment exposes them to the danger
required information on disaster relief
of hunger, starvation and ill health.
and rehabilitation.

- Submission of memoranda to 3. The norms of untouchability also place many limitations on how Dalits
concerned authorities can access safety, security or relief during disaster. Continuing societal
norms of pollution in using common water sources, common dining and
- National, State and regional level common place for accommodation are prevalent in the minds of non
advocacy and campaigns for securing Dalits propel Dalits to keep out of the way of non Dalits owing to fear of
entitlements and compensation to the reprisals and conflicts.
excluded victims
4. They often live in unsafe conditions that expose them more severely to
- Organisation of Dalit survivors into
disasters. There are very few infrastructure provisions or community
cadre of volunteers, awareness building
and engagement with political leaders
facilities in these habitations and protection in times of disaster is a
serious problem.
- Engaging with the CSOs, INGOs,
NGOs, UN agencies, bi-lateral and 5. With the poverty situation, the nutrition and health conditions of Dalits
multi-lateral agencies for wider are poorer and their resistance to illnesses low. Anaemia, malnutrition
endorsement of the problem and and other ailments also make them more vulnerable. Combined with the
collective actions unhealthy conditions of their living, they are most prone to suffer the
outbreak of diseases in times of disaster.

The learning generated an advocacy agenda for NDW for equity and
inclusion in disaster management to (i) Put in place just and inclusive
mechanisms of pre-disaster warning; (ii) relief services during disaster and (iii)
post disaster recovery and rehabilitation.

„Discrimination by default‟ is as much an issue as discrimination by norm and
intent and is prevalent both within the civil society and administration. Even
in cases where there is no intentional bias against Dalit communities, the lack
of knowledge about their vulnerabilities, not mapping these communities in
the context of the disaster and prevalent norms of operations result in the
administration not taking up the cause of Dalit and other marginalized
“We lost our ration cards to communities in times of disaster. Often this is also co-existent and
the floods, and are not accentuated with the overt and covert dominant community bias and
pressures, shoeing away Dalits from channels and means of gathering pre-
getting regular rations from
disaster warning and relief and rehabilitation benefits.
the dealer because he does
not accept the temporary A series of disasters, including the Gujarat earthquake (2001), tsunami (2004),
cards issued to us by the Bihar floods (2007 and 2008), Assam floods over several years (particularly
authority, despite being 2009), Andhra Pradesh (2009) and Yamuna floods (2010), have highlighted
instructed by the Mandal the degree to which, by virtue of their inherent socio-economic
Revenue Officer”. vulnerability, Dalits have been systematically excluded from relief
and rehabilitation efforts.
4


2009-10

THE MONITORING STUDIES
THE RATIONALE
Given the above scenario, and having ascertained the practice of
exclusion and discrimination, in Andhra Pradesh, two studies were
undertaken in 2009 and 2010 respectively, and in March 2010,
Karnataka flood study was conducted. Later in the year 2010, Delhi
received heavy rainfall and water from the Hathnikund barrage of
Haryana, which resulted in floods. Some parts of Bihar also
witnessed flood situation when river Gandak breached its coursein te
same year. The studies commissioned look at the pre-existing
vulnerabilities of these victims, their socio-economic background, the
perils and troubles they have been landed into post floods.

The specific objectives of conducting studies in *AP and *Karnataka are
as below:-

- To monitor whether the authorities gave relief to the affected Dalits
with dignity;

- To verify whether there was any discrimination in giving
relief;

- To figure out if Dalits received equal attention and care as did the
upper caste people when the relief operations were underway;

- To check whether the temporary shelters erected by the government
were helpful and compensation given against the losses was
sufficient; &

- To find out about the plight of women and children in particular.

The surveys conducted soon after the Yamuna floods in Delhi* and
Gandak river floods in Bihar had the following objectives:-

-To assess the efforts made by the government to mitigate the
looming threat of floods;

-Steps advanced in providing relief to the Dalits and other
marginalized sections;

-To assess the extent of damage borne by the Dalit and other
marginalised sections;

-To find out if any scientific damage assessment was carried out by
the officials following the floods.

*Report on Monitoring Exclusion of Dalits in Relief and Rehabilitation
Interventions following AP floods, 2009
‘The Excluded in Relief & Rehabilitation’, following the AP floods, 2009
[phase II]
*The Uncertainties of life…living through waters of dejection, 2010 5


2009-10

`
Floods in Andhra Pradesh, October 2009

Past experiences of discrimination of Dalits and media reporting on the
same in rescue and relief operations during the 2009 floods in AP had
alerted the Civil Society Organisations concerned about Dalit rights.
e
This resulted in the constitution of Dalit Watch-AP.

Sudden depressions in Bay of Bengal caused heavy downpour in the
catchment areas of Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers causing heavy
flooding of the state of Andhra Pradesh. A survey was conducted by
Dalit Watch AP, covering 308 villages of the 565 affected villages of
five districts, namely, Karnool, Mahboobnagar, Nalgonda, Krishna and
Guntur, from 20-26 October 2009. In 60% of the SC and ST habitations
the people weren‟t aware of the government relief package.

The second phase survey was conducted covering two most badly
affected districts, Kurnool and Mehboobnagar, from 23 February-2
March 2010, at the behest of the Principal Secretary to the Chief
Minister. It was found that a significant proportion of Dalits had not
received the immediate relief of essential commodities as per the
Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) norms. Quite a substantial number of SCs
and STs had not received compensation for loss of their belongings, and
many families went non-enumerated in the lists of compensation.

With the findings of the studies, DW-AP has engaged in a dialogue
with political leaders and responsible authorities from the block to state
levels, for making them to take corrective steps to register the material
and human losses and damages suffered by Dalit victims. The activities
conducted to strike a dialogue with these authorities will be learnt in the
later section.

Floods in Karnataka, October 2009

Almost five months after the devastation, a study was undertaken in the
worst-hit district, Bijapur. Many Dalits regretted how the local officials
favoured people of their own caste and ill-treated the Dalits. 75% of the
respondents assented to the question of discrimination during the
distribution of the relief material, and an overwhelming 92% of the
Dalits denied suitable compensation. The floods had only worsened the
drudgery of the everyday life of the women. The main reasons behind
this dissatisfaction was lack of proper survey of Dalit colonies, lack of
scientific and professional assessment of the damage caused by the
“The local officials were floods, and of course, large-scale corruption especially at the local level.
reluctant to visit our The sheds constructed to house the victims immediately after the floods
turned out to be inhospitable for Dalits as most of them were chased
Dalit basti to assess the
away by the so called upper caste people.
damage caused by
floods („09) and In pursuance of the matter, HRFDL-K has filed RTI applications, held
enumerate our losses”. direct mass programmes to protest against non-compliance of the
authorities to the rehabilitation code, and got the State Human Rights
Commission to acknowledge the negligence on the part of the
administration, amounting to violation of basic human rights of Dalits.

6


2009-10

The Yamuna floods, Sept-Oct 2010

NDW commissioned a weeklong survey from 19-25 October, stretching
over three locations, Shastri Park, Vijay Ghat and Mayur village (Chilla
Khadar village), covering 409 families in the jhuggi-jhonpri (JJ)
clusters. The idea was to ascertain the extent of inclusion/exclusion of
Dalits in relief and rehabilitation measures during the Yamuna floods
of 2010. Before embarking on the study, the social category of the
victims was not known, and it was only after fact finding visits made to
badly affected regions of Delhi that the caste dynamics unfolded.
Amongst the worst affected households in these JJ clusters, 79%
belonged to the Dalits, followed by the second highest prevalence of
Other Backward Castes (OBC) at 14%. The Yamuna floods had
decimated every shack on its plain. These areas were found to be
predominated by Dalits (42%) from UP and Bihar (18%), settled in
Delhi for over 50 years, cultivating the river bed.

During the survey, the inconsistencies and flaws in the relief operation
came to light apart from the deep sense of loss faced by the survivors.
The compensation and entitlements of the survivors are yet to be
known from the Delhi government, for as of now, there has been no
such announcement. Critical evaluation of facts helped to establish the
success of the mechanism and steps taken by the Delhi government in
making the lives and property of the victims secure.

In order to chalk out specific strategies to demand the entitlements of
the Yamuna flood affected people in 2010, a preliminary meeting of all
concerned organizations and individuals was arranged, on January7,
2011, at NCDHR. With this meeting, the process of gathering
representation/applications from the victims and their submission and
meeting with the authorities was mutually decided upon. Since then,
community consultations have been conducted and periodical visits
made to the locations surveyed to organise the communities to facilitate
their application for compensation and entitlements. Applications for
compensation have been received from the survivors.

The Gandak floods, Sept-Oct 2010

Gandak River breached its embankment at village Simariya (block
Baraulli) on the 19 September 2010, inundating many villages, which
had not seen floods for quite long. With the monitoring experience of the
“We were charged for
2008 Kosi floods, DW-B set out to monitor the situation and damages
incurred by Dalits and other marginalised communities, from 8-13
receiving government
October „10, across five blocks in district Gopalganj, namely, Gopalganj boat services which
Sadar, Majhagar, Sidhwalia, Kutchai Kot and Barauli. Approx. 6000 we could ill-
families, inclusive of Dalits and minorities were covered. The study afford…hence, had to
revealed that the administration swung into action only after the fall out forego our household
of the embankment, while preventive measures were not taken to avoid belongings”.
the deluge.
7
NDW- National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights


Though loss of life and other assets at home
was found to be minimal, affect to the huts and Thane cyclone Social audit and Inclusion Monitoring
crops, severely hit the Dalits, taking away their
dwelling place and livelihood as daily wage Thane Cyclone wrecked havoc in the state of Tamil Nadu in December
earners 2011, badly hitting the districts of Cuddalore, Villupuram and Pondicherry.
Spurred by the media reports of atrocities against Dalits and past
Even after 5 days of the cyclone, when the documented evidences of CBD and exclusion during the tsunami in Tamil
Nadu in 2004, NDW conducted the social audit through a team of social
electricity was not restored, the villagers
activists to look into the situation of Dalits. The social audit re-confirmed
approached the Panchayat president who denied the same tragic state of affairs for Tamil Nadu, leading to extreme forms of
supporting them stating that 'they didn‟t vote exclusion, thus exacerbating vulnerability of Dalits by manifold. The social
for him, and they shouldn‟t ask him any favors. audit in the district of Cuddalore highlighted yet again that location of
With no water supply restored on 7th January, public tube wells (with or without raised platforms), cyclone/flood shelters,
villagers Mr. Murugan and Jayachanran went to distribution centres, etc. are often decided on the basis of perceived
meet the Panchayat president at the Panchayat physical access without taking in to consideration the aspect of social
office where there were several people in the access.
room. When they enquired about the water
Subsequently, an Inclusion Monitoring survey was also undertaken in the
supply and electricity, the Panchayat president
districts of Cuddalore and Villupuram, across 40 identified Dalit villages
rudely abused them mentioning them their having around 2000 households, through 30 trained volunteers, which also
caste. When they got upset and tried to leave, included TISS students. The study was commissioned with assistance from
the group tried to tie them up and slapped them, local organizations and our CMDRR network associates, Kalvikendra,
but with help from other villagers the duo were Hope and HelpAge India.
released.
Inclusion Monitoring in Odisha floods 2011
In village Ameipala of Block Mahakalapara,
Kendrapara, Bidulata, a widow with two married Odisha also witnessed an intense flood situation in the year 2011. It
sons and their children, came to know of the affected 19 districts, of which, the situation in Puri, Kendrapara,
flood with unceasing barking of the dog. She lost Jagatsinghpur, Jajapur and Cuttack districts was more critical. Knowing of
the state‟s following of the caste system and documented evidences of CBD
everything to the flood, and her name didn‟t and exclusion during the Orissa Super Cyclone of 1999, NDW, along with
even feature in the damaged houses its local partners like Action for Rural Upliftment and Planning (ARUP),
enumeration list of the government. Moreover, REISWA, CSJD and VICALP monitored government‟s rescue and relief
she was persuaded by a local leader to give operations to assess their reach to SC/ST communities.
money for getting her name enumerated in the
list. The immediate objectives of the surveys were to (i) assess the process of
relief of the government during the Thane cyclone and Orissa floods; and
At the time of flood, Bijay, of village Sansidha of (ii) assist the communities in accessing entitlements from the authorities,
Aul block, approached the Anganwadi worker for besides the long term advocacy with the humanitarian stakeholders and
governments to make DR-DRR responsive and inclusive to Dalits.
relief. The Anganwadi worker belonging to the
upper caste did not open the door for him at In Orissa, about 1400 individual applications for compensation of Dalit
first. After much persuasion, the Anganwadi victims have been filed in Kendrapara alone, supplemented by application
worker gave him poor quality chuda (flat rice) under RTI Act, which are being followed up regularly through state
and rice, on consuming which Bijay‟s family personnel and special core group constituted for the purpose of inclusion
suffered with diarrhea and dysentery .No monitoring in the state, who meet regularly to review and plan way ahead.
medical assistance too was available at hand.

TSUNAMI („04) BIHAR FLOODS (‟07), KOSI FLOODS
(‟08) AP & KARNATAKA FLOODS („09), YAMUNA
FLOODS IN DELHI (‟10), THANE CYCLONE IN TAMIL
NADU & ODISHA FLOODS (‟12)
8


A Glimpse into…

DISCRIMINATION IN DISASTERS
“I delivered my baby amid flood and rain under the open sky…”

The village Balipatana is situated near the catchment area of river In East Champaran, Dalits were compelled to
Brahmani. The total population of the village is more than 6000, of which drink flood water after being beaten up by the
five to six hundreds are Dalits. The flood had gutted the entire village, and dominant castes for fetching water in their
only four boats were provided to the Panchayat for two villages. The two locality, when their hand pump was
boats were captured by dominant caste and used by the followers of a submerged in floods.
particular political party. In these circumstances, Puspa Jena, was
undergoing labour and her condition required immediate medical “The local officials demandes a part of the
assistance. The nearby hospital being 4 KM away from the village, her compensation first and then tell us how much
brother, rushed to the village head for help. The village head when we are going to get. Because of our caste, we
reproached, denied help saying the boats were provided for plying relief weren‟t given shelter.”
material, and not for medical use. On consistent pleading, Pushpa was
refused assistance saying she was a Dalit. Amidst chaos and lack of medical The families that were given temporary tin
attention, she delivered in unhygienic condition. Moreover, her name could sheds by the government are suffering for
not be enumerated for benefits under the schemes of Mamata and Janani want for basic amenities like toilets.
Surakshya yojana as she delivered at her house.
“I could not procure a tent for my family
Odisha flood, 2011
during floods, whereas, some families
“The floods washed away my eight-year-old daughter and I lost my second child possessed extra numbers; nor could we get
too. Both my children have left me in pain. I don‟t know what to live for.” food… because we are Muslims.”

25-year-old Dyamavva Ravikanth of Arjunagi, one of the worst flood-hit “We had to either purchase fodder on prices
villages in Bijapur district, lost her two children to the floods. The floods ranging from Rs.150-250 per sack, or had to
encircled her village when she was in the last few days of her second offer bribe to the gate keepers of public
pregnancy. Even as her husband was struggling to shift her to a safer place, gardens to seek permission to cut some
the couple saw their little daughter being washed away by the floods. A grass… the government had no arrangement
couple of days later, Dyamavva saw the girl‟s body floating in the stagnant at all for the livestock.”
water some miles away from her village. A few days later, she delivered a
baby boy only to see the newborn succumb to an undiagnosed illness a few The tents and food were not properly
days later. What could be possibly asked of a woman who has lost two distributed to all victims spread across
children to the floods and is still waiting for compensation? different locations. This excluded those that
stayed up on the embankment and those
“We saw loads of relief material being offloaded from trucks. But the local trapped in the interiors.
officials (the tahsildar and the village accountant) made sure that only the upper
caste people got it and we were left behind.” A sizeable proportion of school going children
lost their school books due to which they
According to Peerappa Madar of Bijapur, although the entire village could not resume school after floods. Also,
suffered huge losses in the floods, the Dalit families received paltry water logging and overflowing open pits on
compensation ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000 apart from five kilos of rice. the road made parents hold back their wards
In contrast, many upper caste families got up to Rs 37,000 as compensation. to avoid any risks of falling into those.
The situation wasn‟t any better at the gruel centre either. Since Arjunagi
was one of the worst-affected villages in Bijapur district, the centre was run
TSUNAMI („04) BIHAR FLOODS (‟07), KOSI FLOODS
for nearly 15-20 days. Dalits were made to queue up for hours on end while (‟08) AP & KARNATAKA FLOODS („09), YAMUNA
the upper caste people, especially women and children, were given the FLOODS IN DELHI (‟10), THANE CYCLONE In TAMIL
priority. The plight of Dalit children was even more heart-rending as they NADU AND ODISHA FLOODS (2011-12)
had to eat out of their parents‟ plates and were even reduced to begging.
9
Karnataka floods, October 2009



PROMISING PRACTICES
While at work, certain strategic steps have been taken in order to visibalise the
issue before the agencies and authorities concerned. A series of activities were
conducted which have helped in establishing the need before the CSOs, NGOs
and the UN agencies to address the issue of caste based discrimination and
exclusion, by default or by design, in all their approaches to the DRR work.
These activities and practices have also helped bring synergy between the work
done at the community level, state and the national levels. Some such practices
are:-
1. PREPARING FOR THE SURVEY: A COLLECTIVE PROCESS
a. Adequate preparation: Demographic information of the area, socio-
economic profile, history of caste-based oppression / atrocities etc.

The deciding factors for selection of flood affected areas were predominantly
the scale of damage and devastation of human lives and the social
composition of the areas. It is inevitable to possess demographic information
of the area and its socio-economic profile before planning any intervention.
In the process of equipping oneself with all these basic and vital information
the pre-existing vulnerabilities of the affected masses was equally focussed
and is handy with the researchers. Thereby, building perspective and
capturing the deep rooted causes of the marginalisation.

In the context of Dalits, the generational discrimination is well known to all.
The need was to find out what forms of discrimination prevailed in the
affected localities, practiced both by the upper castes people and the officials,
be it by default or age old caste bias. In all monitoring studies, such
information was sought from the local organisations and groups operating in
the areas, and through intensive research on the issue and the community.
All this information helps in strategically planning out the survey in Dalit
colonies.

b. Vulnerability Mapping & Inclusion Monitoring Manual (monitoring
through Dalit lens)
Developed community friendly Vulnerability Mapping & Inclusion
Monitoring frameworks for tracking down caste-induced vulnerabilities for
inclusion in Disaster Response and Risk Reduction programme of the
government and humanitarian organisations. The training manual lays
down a process of tracking and assessing the specific vulnerabilities of
Dalits. In the process, the communities will be able to identify the key
government authorities obligated to meet their needs and demands in (i) pre-
disaster (ii) during disaster; and (iii) post disaster scenario. The manual
primarily aims at engaging the community volunteers in assessing their own
vulnerabilities associated with caste and other factors, and thereby taking
measures to approach the authorities for their entitlements, and
preparedness to hazards/ disasters.

The VM-IM tools have been evolved in association with Community
Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) network of organisations
under Cordaid, the Netherlands to The optimum utility of the VM-IM
frameworks is envisaged to be a mechanism whereby information thus
generated would feed into the process of formation of inclusive District
Disaster Management Plans.
10


c. Pilot applications of VM-IM tools in the field

The VM-IM tools have been piloted in the flood affected regions of NDW
interventions in Mehboobnagar, Kurnool, Vijaynagaram and Prakasham
districts of Andhra Pradesh, Raichur, Yadagir and Bijapur districts in
Karnataka, Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts in Assam, and Kendrapara and
Jajpur districts in Orissa. About 25-30 trained volunteers constitute task
forces in each of the states. The process of identification of volunteers is an
ongoing continuous process to train as many as possible and available for
the same, thereby ensuring the task forces always have the required strength.

Pilot application of VM-IM has generated additional information and facts
on forms of exclusion of Dalits in DR-DRR. This exercise has helped
community identify their vulnerabilities and has created rights awareness
among them. The authorities have been approached with supplementary
memoranda and victims compensated with housing in Bijapur district,
Karnataka. Applications have also been filed in Orissa for the first time for
entitlements of the victims after inclusion monitoring survey as people had
no knowledge whatsoever about the compensation packages and
mechanisms of the state.

d. Confluence of human rights groups, activists and organisations

Having started the work through a coalition in Bihar, which helped in the
exchange of each organisation‟s expertise and knowledge base, conscious
efforts have been made by the organisations in the states to work in
coalitions. The organisations in coalition have different target groups and
mandates. Yet when these like organisations came together, they brought in
the added value to the work for securing entitlements for disaster victims.
While DW-B and Andhra Pradesh are constituted of state level
organisations and a union, HRFDL-K has support of field activists and local
organisations and CBOs. In this process, the communities and Dalit
community leaders have been educated about the entitlements. With
facilitation from these entities, the survivors‟ communities have been
organised and empowered to approach the local authorities. Engagement of
a coalition and a union on the issue has enriched the entire process of
subsequent follow ups on the situation of victims at the block and district
levels. This has also strengthened the survivors to claim their entitlements,
facilitating leadership among Dalit victims.

11



2. ADVOCACY & LOBBY
Public Interest Litigation for Entitlements
against 2009 Floods to the excluded Dalit
victims of, Andhra Pradesh
3.1. I. Engaging with the state
After having extensively followed up 3.2.
with the authorities on entitlements of 3.3. After having gathered evidences and testimonials to prevalent caste
Dalit victims post 2009 floods, Dalit biases in the relief and rehabilitation during some these recent disasters,
Watch-Andhra Pradesh has taken to advocacy and lobby measures are being taken at diverse levels, to secure
legal recourse after undue silence of the entitlements of the victims and make the existing policies and guidelines
authorities in the matter. A Public inherently inclusive to Dalits and other vulnerable sections. The
Interest Litigation (W.No. 46 of 2012) is endeavours are summed up below:-
filed in the Hyderabad High Court, for not
just praying the government to pay the
- NDW representative participated in the „DDMP District level
compensation to the victims, but also
initiate action against the concerned Stakeholders‟ Consultation‟ at Madhubani, Bihar, in 9-11 June 2011,
authorities under Section 61 of the Disaster organized by Sphere India. NDW‟s participation was called upon for
Management Act, 2005, and under the ensuring inclusion of concerns pertaining to Dalits and other
provisions of the Scheduled Castes and marginalized groups in the process of formulation of DDMP. Besides
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of ongoing dialogue for the same, NDW has provided inputs to Sphere
Atrocities) Act, 1989, for discriminating India‟s Madhubani DDMP model Stakeholder plan for Dalit and Tribal
and excluding the Dalit families from Associations. DDMP process is one where the national disaster
enumerating their losses. The case is management law in the country mandates consultation with the
pending in the state High court. community and CSOs for people‟s concerns and needs to reflect in plans
for decentralised and proper management of disasters.

-Constitution of Information & Action centres (IACs) in 11 districts of
Bihar, envisioned being a model that would be an antecedent for an
effective community–state interface at the Panchayat, block and district
levels. IACs intervene on specific exclusion instances in disasters by
getting into dialogue with local village level administration; paying
adequate attention to other important issues impacting the lives of Dalits,
such as the implementation of NREGA. Besides exercising pressure on
the authorities, IACs report on the basis of disaggregated data for all the
vulnerable groups, mainly Dalits, women, disabled, children and aged,
particularly belonging to the marginalized communities.

-Continuous engagement with the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister,
AP, (resulting into second phase survey) and dialogue with Karnataka
State Human Rights Commission, and the Backward Class Commission;
persistent work with the officials comprising the Commissioner of
Disaster Management, Block Revenue Officers, Village Revenue officers,
Executive Director of Housing Corporation, Commissioner Panchayat
Raj, the Commissioner and Additional Commissioner of Disaster
Management, Commissioner of Civil Supplies and the District Revenue
officers.
3.4.
- Letters to the Chief Minister and Governor of Karnataka, bringing the
issue to their cognizance and seeking the timeline set for providing
(63,000) houses to the flood victims by the government. HRFDL-K has
demanded the constitution of the State Disaster Management Authority
Despite several
and formation of district level special task forces for immediate redress of
complaints given by the issues pertaining to disaster management.
Dalits to the concerned
police officials, regarding - Submission of the declaration to the National Disaster Management
the ill-treatment and Authority by a team of delegates comprising representatives of the CSOs,
discriminatory having met with the Hon‟ble Member of NDMA.
distribution of relief, none
were registered. 12


- Application under the Right to Information Act 2005 filed to the office
of the Principal Secretary (Revenue)-cum- Divisional Commissioner,
Delhi, seeking precise and detailed information regarding various
aspects of flood control and disaster response work, as per the “Flood
Control Order, 2009 and ‟10, of the Government of Delhi; and
application to the Kollapur Block of Mehboobnagar in AP, seeking
disaggregated record of the affected people belonging to SC/ST and
Minority, their losses and corresponding compensations as per the
CRF guidelines.

- Submission of the Memoranda to the district collectors and other
concerned officials in AP and Karnataka.

- DW-AP is advocating and working on the framing of state‟s model
rules on disaster management (with reference to the Juvenile Justice
Act), demanding dignified and human treatment to Dalits in all
respect.

3.5. II. Drawing the civil society organisations and the media towards
‘inclusion’
1. Addressing caste discrimination in Humanitarian Response
NDW commissioned a study Addressing caste discrimination in
Humanitarian Response, supported by IDSN and EU in the year 2011-12.
It contains a draft framework for International Humanitarian
Stakeholders for addressing CBD in Disaster Response (DR), and Good
practices case studies from India on inclusion of caste affected groups in
DRR intervention. The study extract was presented at the International
Consultation on Caste-Based Discrimination, on 29 November - 1
December 2011, in Kathmandu, Nepal and later in New Delhi, at the
National Consultation, on 14-15 December 2011. The draft received
inputs and comments from ECHO and the UNDP personnel at Delhi
consultation which were incorporated in the final document.

2. National Consultation on „Addressing Caste Based Discrimination in
Humanitarian Response‟, New Delhi

NDW co-organised with Sphere India, Christian Aid-India, Oxfam and
Cordaid, a National Consultation (NC) on „Addressing Caste Based
Discrimination in Humanitarian Response‟, on the 14 and 15 of
December 2011, in New Delhi. The primary objectives were to (i) take
stock of the emerging context of inclusion in DR-DRR; (ii) elicit
response/comments on the draft framework for making Dalit inclusion
in DR-DRR possible under the study named „Draft Framework for
Addressing caste based discrimination in humanitarian response‟; and
(iii) extract inputs from humanitarian stakeholders for sharpening the
VM-IM frameworks.

The consultation observed active presence of Dr. Muzzaffar Ahmad,
Hon‟ble Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),
among other representatives, and members of European Commission
Humanitarian Organisation (ECHO), United Nations Development
Pprogramme (UNDP), International and domestic NGOs, several civil
society representatives, social activists and academics. The forum
witnessed reinforced commitment by the Member of NDMA to cater to
the Dalits and other marginalized sections. ECHO senior personnel also
expressed the interest in using the VM-IM tool in their assessments;
asking for disaggregated data from their implementing agencies; and
involving the presence of Dalits in their task forces in the field to ensure
inclusion. 13


3. Inclusion of Dalits: An agenda on '9th Sphere India Foundation Day' event

The '9th Sphere India Foundation Day', chaired by Dr. Muzzaffar Ahmad,
Member, NDMA saw the agenda of Dalit inclusion in Humanitarian
action (HA) included in the programme, among other thematic issues for
group discussion. NDW representative articulated the need for 'Collective
advocacy with Sphere networks and IAGs for recognition of caste induced
vulnerabilities in the Disaster Management Act and Rules, Guidelines and
Policy', as one of the points of the 5 core recommendations to Sphere
India‟s unified response for the year 2012. Sphere India being a coalition
of several expert and leading humanitarian organizations in India is
always a platform of strategic importance. Since Sphere India works
closely with the NDMA, efforts are made to visibalise and articulate the
issue at every forum of Sphere India, for the guaranteed presence of
NDMA Members on its panel. The need for collective advocacy with
active lead and support of Sphere India for inclusive legal mechanisms was
endorsed by other group members comprising representatives of ECHO
and Save the Children among other organisations.

4. Deliberations with the ECHO, Sphere India and UNDP

A series of important meetings have taken place from time to time in this
time period with the ECHO, UNDP and Sphere India. These dialogues
have been crucial for NDW for these leading and widely working
organizations have the mandate of working for marginalised groups. The
agenda has been of working out modalities and possibilities of joint
advocacy for inclusive legal systems in India for disaster management, and
inclusive humanitarian approaches.

Meetings with UNDP‟s DRR wing have primarily been to discuss ways of
integrating aspects of VM-IM tools into the existing vulnerability
assessment formats of various organizations and UNDP members. The
subsidiary agenda being to use the UN Solution exchange community on
Disaster Management for highlighting critical issues of CBD in disasters,
for inviting public opinion/comments and reactions to the same, to build a
strong voice of consensus on the advocacy issues of NDW. UNDP has
been quite forthcoming in meeting with us and charting out a way ahead
for collective steps in taking the issue of exclusion to wider humanitarian
actors through its online query posting, where NDW has posted queries
post Thane cyclone in Tamil Nadu 2011. (Ref. [se-drm] QUERY:
Inclusion and Protection of Dalits in Disaster Response and Risk
Reduction-Advice, March 23, 2012)

5. National consultation on, “Exclusion of Dalits in Disaster Risk Reduction
Interventions- effective civil society monitoring”

Co-organised with Sphere India on 18-19 June 2010, this event marked
participation of representatives from NGOs, International NGOs, Member
of NDMA,, academics from TISS, and officers from the UN bodies, viz.
the UNDP, to deliberate on the issue to conceive effective solutions for an
inclusive disaster management mechanism. Such a consultation placing
forward the issue of CBD in disasters was unique in its own way. The
declarations formulated received endorsement from the CSOs and
international organisations working on the issues of Dalits and ethnic
minorities. The declaration also was further developed in the IDSN-EU
supported study, mentioned above. (Available at -
http://www.idsn.org/fileadmin/user_folder/pdf/New_files/India/2012/IDSN-
EU_study_on_CBD_in_humanitarian_response_by_NDW.pdf )
14


MAIN ACTIVITIES
- Vulnerability Mapping & Inclusion Monitoring (VM-IM) workshop, 10-11
March 2011, NCDHR, New Delhi INTERMEDIATE ACHIEVEMENTS IN A
NUTSHELL
- Planning meeting for compensation of Yamuna flood victims on 07 Jan
2011, in NCDHR - Vulnerability Mapping-Inclusion
Monitoring Tool
- One day consultation to address the issues of Exclusion under Rescue and
Relief Operation, 27 October 2010, Kurnool, AP
- Creation of a committed and professional
- Press Meet in district Kurnool, AP, 26 September 2010 cadre of monitors at every district,
supported by the nodal / partner
- Mass convention in Mahboobnagar, AP, 21 September 2010 organizations to monitor Dalit exclusion

- Press Meet following Gandak Floods, Patna, Bihar, 20 September 2010
- Strengthened the advocacy agenda of
- Mass Convention on 'Experiences of Dalit Communities in the wake of NDW nationally and internationally
Disasters, 28 August ‟10, Patna, Bihar
- Strategically important study
- Public hearing , 21 August 2010, Bangalore, Karnataka „Addressing caste discrimination in
humanitarian response‟
- Press Meet in Hyderabad, on 7 July 2010

- National Consultation on, “Exclusion of Dalit in DRR Interventions- - Inclusion agenda being mainstreamed
Effective Civil Society Monitoring”, 18 & 19 June 2010, New Delhi into the Sphere humanitarian agenda

- Coordination & Orientation meeting for Information and Action centres‟
- The issue is visibalised and articulated on
monitors, 3rd February 2010, Patna, Bihar
different crucial public forums and the
- Consultation on Disasters, Discrimination & Dalit Rights, 4 -5 March 2010, NDMA leading to slow yet important
Patna, Bihar dialogues

- Total number of volunteers capacitated
in VM-IM across Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Assam – 180

CHALLENGES

- Sustainability of the programme, the
structures and liabilities that it builds up
- Unpreparedness among the legislative
members in states to take up the issue of
CBD in disasters due to difficult political
terrains
- Proactiveness of the government
servants at all levels to engage and
hostility of the bureaucrats is a risk

15


REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS
--The report of the Yamuna flood monitoring survey, “The uncertainties of life…living
through waters of dejection” (soft version available in Hindi and English)
http://www.ncdhr.org.in/latestinterventions/Yamuna%20flood%20report.pdf

- National Consultation on “Exclusion of Dalit in DRR Interventions” report
http://www.ncdhr.org.in/latestinterventions/final%20report%20NDW%20(2).pdf

- Report of the study conducted in AP, “The Excluded in Relief and Rehabilitation”,
following October ‟09 floods
http://www.ncdhr.org.in/ncdhr2/key-activities/AP_survey_report_10__wid_annexes.pdf

- Report of the study conducted after floods in Assam in 2009
http://www.ncdhr.org.in/ncdhr2/key-activities/RVC-Assam_survey%20report.pdf

- For a Morsel of Life... Bihar Relief Camp report 2008
http://www.ncdhr.org.in/ncdhr2/key-
activities/Dalit_Watch_Report_on_Flood_Relief_Camps_in_Bihar_Oct%202008.pdf

- The Resource Bank: This includes national and international disaster management
initiatives, best practices in DRR and related subjects, Government circulars, orders, national
and UN legal instruments pertaining to disaster management, schemes for SC/STs, documents
related to inclusion in DRR abroad, national legislation, policies and rules of Disaster
Management (updated regularly).

- NCDHR Newsletters highlighting NDW„s work (accessible at:
http://nationaldalitwatch-ncdhr.blogspot.com/p/recent-activities.html

DALIT WATCH NEWS LINKS
NDW reports on knowledge portal for Water and Environment related issues in India:
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/post/31517

Thane cyclone social audit report
http://kafila.org/2012/02/11/caste-discrimination-in-cyclone-thane-in-tamil-nadu-and-
pondicherry-ndw-ncdhr/

Why are flood-hit homeless one year on, (28 August 2010)
http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/22/stories/2010082253230400.htm

Dalits discriminated against in flood relief, says Dalit Watch (July 10, 2010)

Flood-affected Dalits discriminated: Survey (July 10, 2010)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Flood-affected-Dalits-discriminated-
Survey/articleshow/6149802.cms

Dalits worst hit in floods-Andhra Pradesh (February 5, 2010)

Devastated by floods, but drowned by corruption, Karnataka news (December 16, 2009)
http://www.indiatogether.org/2009/dec/rlf-karfloods.htm

Caste Discrimination in Karnataka flood relief operations
(November 9, 2009) 16



THE WAY AHEAD
In order to sustain its efforts, NDW, envisions achieving the following
objective in the time to come:-

- Amendments to the Disaster Management Act 2005
- Inclusive and People centric version of the SDRF/NDRF norms
of compensation
- Parliamentary advocacy
- Inclusion in Climate Change & DRR discourse and programmes

For more details log on
www.nationaldalitwatch-ncdhr.blogspot.com
17

Monitoring Disaster Response and Preparedness for Inclusion and Equity

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