1. M.B.Dash Liton, Shushilan
Community safeguarding on Disaster management
Background:
Kashimari union is situated at the east side of Shamnagar sub-district of Sathkhira district.
Khulpetua River flows by the east side of the union. Total population of the union is 30235, where
70% of people are poor and 25% hardcore poor. Agriculture and prone farming are the main
professions of the union. It is highly disaster prone area due to geographical location, nearer Bay of
Bangal, connecting rivers, canals and salinity. Crop farming of the union is being decreased due to
increasing salinity. Prone farmers usually regulate the saline water by holing embankment, which
increases disaster risk at the community level. Nearer Sundarbans works here as a safe guard of
the union against cyclone and storm surge, the people were comparatively less aware in Cyclone
Aila. But the helpless community was badly affected by the devastating cyclone Aila on 25th May,
2009, where 80% of embankment, 70% of the road, 80% of latrines and 70% of crops were
partially and fully damaged. However, a genuine volunteer group named Shushamaj saved
thousands of lives and assets from devastating cyclone Aila.
The community safe guarder Shushamaj:
Shushamaj is one of the voluntary groups of Kashimari union, developed in January 2008 by
Shushilan, a national non government organization, specialized in disaster management in coastal
belt of Bangladesh. The committee is organized by the selected representatives of the local
community for the development of the grass root level. The main objectives of the group is to assist
and strengthen the local government, to establish justice & good governance, protection & mobilize
local resources, strengthen the civil society and to disaster risk management at the community
level etc. This group is not only motivated and trained on strengthening the local government, but
also play an important role for disaster management at the grass root level. There are ward level
Shusamaj committee, union level Shusamaj committee, Sub-district and district level Shusamaj
committee to work and coordinate the activities jointly and effectively. These groups proved their
capacities and volunteerism on development sectors and on humanitarian crisis. Kashimari Union
Shushamaj group is one of the champion groups of Shushilan, which effectively disseminated and
utilized their trainings’ learning during pre and post disaster. This group heroically had taken some
initiatives to mitigate societal problems and disaster risk at the grass root level community which
encourage us to know them more.
Experiences on Cyclone Aila and initiative to announce early warning:
Though all classes of people were affected by devastating cyclone Aila, some heroic initiatives of
Shusamanj saved thousands of lives and assets from danger. How did they save the lives and took
care thousands of refugees during humanitarian crisis. Let’s try to heed such a gallant events from
their experiences.
“It was 24th May, 2009. When I hear from radio and television’s announcing signal no 4, I
immediately thought that we should call our volunteers and should be prepared for disaster
response. Wind was blowing strongly and it was generating more energy than early morning. After
taking my prayer, I phoned several members and well wishers about weather condition and should
immediately prepare for early warning and rescue operation. I also told them I am going to union
council office complex with my siren which I got from my father. Within short time, we were
organized and started early warning from the floor of Union council office. When we were
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2. M.B.Dash Liton, Shushilan
circulating early warning on cyclone,
some of the people were laughing and
did not take care. But we were
continued our early warning message
and sent the families into safer place.”
said Md.Raja gulbahar of Kashimari
union
Shusamaj
committee.
Unfortunately, his assumption was
perfect and they had to start rescue
operation after one day.
Initiative of Rescue operation:
Despite the fact that more than seven thousands people were wounded and 190 people died in
Bangladesh by brutal attack of cyclone Aila, compare to others unions, losses of life was almost
nothing due to heroic voluntarism of Shushamaj committee at Kashimpur union. (Source-MoFDM)
“It was 25th May, 2009 about at noon when cyclone Aila attacked us. We all were busy for early
warning and rescuing the people to go to safer place. Suddenly, the current was coming from the
river side by crossing over and damaging the embankment. It looked so gloomy and blackish that I
could not explain. Within short time, it was spread all over the union. We had nothing to do to
protect only lives of the people and their valuable assets.” said Proshanto Kumar mondol, Gulbahar
and others. The ward and union committee jointly worked in rescue operation to send the affected
people to safer place (nearer cyclone shelters, union office complex, and school buildings and
nearer high rise buildings etc) by using motorized and non motorized van and motor cycles etc.
Moreover, they organized the volunteers to clean the roads and to bury dead bodies of cattle and
goats etc.
Heroic initiative of embankment repair:
“When radio and television announced signal number 4 on 24th May, 2009 in the evening, we
talked with chairman that there are some weaker points of embankment at Tepkhali more, which
need to repair immediately. Otherwise, if the cyclone comes, we will be affected at first and
damages will be more. If you support us we want to repair it as soon as possible. Chairman Md.
Gazi Anisuzzman assured us that he
will provide all kind of supports to
Shushamaj to repair the embankment.
He also reiterated that please continue
early warning, if weather permits we
will start repairing work of
embankment to reduce danger.
Unfortunately, cyclone Aila attacked us
on the next day at noon. And the
embankment was destroyed from first
strong current pressure of Aila. If we
would repair the weak points and
would raise the embankment, it might
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3. M.B.Dash Liton, Shushilan
be saved the community from brutal danger. So, we were not ready to wrong again,” said members
of Shushamaj committee. They called a meeting at Natun Bazaar to collect support to repair
embankment right away. Chairman had nothing to say but yes. They separated by different groups
to collected necessary materials such as bamboo, rope, CI sheet and spade etc (what ever they
were necessary) and to organize the community people. All classes of people were gathered to
work in embankment. It was arduous to repair embankment due to strong current. One group
barricaded the current water by CI sheet, bamboo, logs, and roofs and others groups gave soil.
Within eight days, they repaired almost all danger points without any government assistances.
After eight days, government relief came, but they converted it food for work by consulting with
chairman so that repairing work might continue. they worked there about four months to repair
embankment. Now, they are comparatively safe. If they did not take initiative to repair embankment
at that time, the situation would be deteriorated as like as Gabura union, where embankment is not
being repaired till to date due to up & down stream. Government is expending hundreds of core of
taka there and also has given responsibility to army to monitor the activities to repair embankment,
but they failed due to lack of timely initiative. Who count how many cores of taka save by them?
Nevertheless, they not only saved the community from danger by repairing embankment, but also
monitor the relief distribution successfully.
Initiative to monitor relief distribution:
The president of union Shushamaj committee said that “we work to establish rights of the poor. So,
it was our duty to monitor the relief distribution for being equitable and inclusive. In the beginning,
UP representatives opposes us. Finally they agreed due to pressure of us and community. We
assisted UPs and ensured relief distribution for the disadvantages groups by collecting claims from
non receivers so that they could get access in next time. Sometimes, we also made the relief
distribution flexible so that majority people could get assistance.” Women volunteers not only
served the refugee in the shelter, but also they operated a camp by direct assistance of NGOs, and
distributed medicine to the affected people. They also nursed the children and women in the
shelters.
Initiative of ensuring safe drinking water:
They did not stop this activity by repairing embankment and monitoring relief distribution, rather
took a brilliant initiative to repair tube-well and to ensure safe drinking water in the suffering
community. Now, they also monitor and supervise 43 sweet water ponds at the union for ensuring
sweet water at the community level.
Initiative of Community Awareness:
Shushamaj motivates the community people on social forestation, stopping unplanned holing of
embankment, water & sanitation through conducting one to one discussions, group consultations,
and public meetings at the schools, market place and at the grass root level.
“Though we planted about half kilometer of social forestation by the side of the embankment to
reduce disaster risk by our own contribution in 2008, cyclone Aila destroyed our dream’s plantation.
But disaster could not stop us from community forestation. Our motivated children and people are
planting sapling at their homestead and by the road side which give us confidence to work.” said
Mahafuza khanam, Abdul Kader and Sufia of Kashimari union Shusamaj committee.
Initiative to recover canals for DRR: Shushamaj has recovered four canals (Pathakhata,
Baintola, Bagmari and Noaghora) from canal’s grabbers and are digging these by uniting UP’s
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4. M.B.Dash Liton, Shushilan
representatives and the community
people to canalize and storage of
sweet water for crop production. “If
we can successfully complete the
digging of four canals, crop
production must increase which will
bring the smile to the poor farmers.”
said Proshanto mondol, Sufia,
mahafuza, Azgor hossain, Sohorab,
Shahidul Islam and Rajagulbahar of
Shushamaj. They also cultivate fish
at one of the canals and from where
20 fishermen families’ livelihood have been ensured and extra earning goes to community
plantation, sanitation and children education purposes. Crop production by the side of the canal
has been increased due to sweet water irrigation. As per their comments, their most significant
achievements have come from cyclone Aila and also have learned many things on disaster
response from this.
Comments of Chairman:
We talked with union chairman and secretary about Shushamaj group’s activities and their feelings.
“I am youth and new chairman of Kashimari union. I had no previous experience on such a disaster
and to run union. I did not have previous experience to work with such voluntary group,
Shushamaj. Truly, It would be impossible to do such amount of work within short time especially
embankment repair, digging cannels, if they did not assist me. I feel proud that we have such
brilliant and sincere volunteer groups to assist the local government in disaster management to
save the community from danger. If they have in others union, disaster vulnerability and risks must
reduce for the community,” said Md. Anisuzzaman, Chairman, Kashimari union
Shushamaj is a voluntary team, is a unique effort of local people and is a strong example of
disaster risk management at the community level. Despite the fact that the initiatives of Shushamaj
are nothing new, their sincerity, timeliness, completely voluntarism especially saved the lives of the
people and community safe guarding which enlightened them as great. This model can be
disseminated to the others disaster prone areas for reducing hazards risk and vulnerability at the
community level.
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