Lok Kalyan Sansthan

Drought and Famine Interventions

The operational area of LKS is under continued spells of drought with occasional bouts of famine. In these circumstances it becomes imperative that people get immediate and sufficient relief. The organisation advocates with the Government of Rajasthan for famine work and conducts strict monitoring to ensure that the benefits of the activity reach the intended beneficiaries.

For very needy families, the organisation runs food for work programme so the poor get at least a square of meal and are not forced to migrate to other places. It feels that migration creates nuisance for the poor families.

Drought and famine also bring out fodder crisis. To handle this situation, the organisation every year runs cattle camps in which fodder with nutrition is provided to those animals, which are vagabond and left by the owners. The Government of Rajasthan is a partner of LKS in this endeavour.

Lok Adhikar Yojana (LAY)

The focus of the LAY is drought management - preparedness, mitigation, relief and rehabilitation. LAY works with the most marginalised sections of society facilitating the building of their organisation that they are able to access their rights fully. LAY aims to address issues of production, management, utilisation, distribution, and awareness through micro level planning for food, water, fodder, employment and health. Lok Adhikar Yojana is functional under Lok Adhikar Network [link to Network page] and is supported by Action Aid India. LKS is partner organization of this network and implementing developmental activities in Shahar gram panchayat of Baitu block.

Flood Interventions

Flood is the rarest of rare disaster one would expect in a desert area. Yet a week’s heavy rainfall from August 17 to 23, 2006, flooded parts of Barmer district, destroying kharif crops, washing away dhanis, livestock and people. Surface water rose to as high as 20-25 feet forcing the people take shelter on sand dunes. The situation was particularly grim in Kawas area of Baitu block, which along with Shiv Block in Barmer district and Fatehgarh block of Jaisalmer district witnessed flood fury. A total of 153 people died in the floods, over 4,000 people were rendered homeless and 55,000 people were affected.

LKS extended its hand of support immediately at war footing to minimise sufferings of humans in the area. With the support of different donor agencies the organisation arranged community kitchen and clothes immediately to the affected people. Uncooked food packages with kitchen utensils were distributed to in the area in association with consortium of the organisations. Affected people were also given blankets, bed sheets and other relief items by the organisation. Water filtration equipments were provided in the area to make safe drinking water available.

After relief it was turn of rehabilitation. A number of activities were done:

• Distribution of goats
• Land treatment and agriculture support
• Construction of temporary shelters (jhopa) and tanka
• School restoration
• Counselling of people (who had never seen flood in their lives)

Community members were given responsibilities to take care of tents and keep a watch to school activities. Additionally two components of health and nutrition were included in this programme. And focus was given to strengthen the services of sub centre and anganwadi centres because these essential services were also affected due to flood.

Overview of Relief and Rehabilitation