THE INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS IN INDIA

Covid 19 Relief - Annual Report for the period April 2020 – March 2021

104, B, Block, Prince Garden, 40 Thambusamy Road, Kellys, Chennai – 600010 India.

 

 

Covid 19 Related Activities: The field volunteers were engaged in awareness, appropriate behavior, vaccination through village visits, community meetings and through social media:

 

Due to Covid-19 and corona pandemic followed by lockdown with support of ODAF, The IRDWSI and  many other civil society Organisations (SCINDeA, CRHSE, Navajeevan, Freedom from Cancer, RDS, COSA, CSNR, ODMM, Covid 19 Civil Society, FSD, ECODAWM, mmP, Samata) State Governments, Vizag Volunteers, many other individuals and volunteers were able to undertake different kinds of relief activities – Cash Assistance, Food relief, accompanying migrants, mobile phone recharges assistance to migrant workers, health awareness on social distancing, mask distribution, transport of migrants, advocacy activities, legal support, three video clip on Covid 19 pandemic, documentation of migrant worker issues,  rights, quarantine protocols, use of social media platform. Several zoom meetings, webinars were organized, migrant issues documentation was presented in several platforms. Most of the migrants were from Odisha who migrated to work in different States like Gujarat, UP, Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal,. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,  Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Support was extended to develop and sustain the Migrant Watch website.

 

Covid -19 Mass Awareness Education: After the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease, the field Volunteers of the IRDWSI, met the Block Development Officer and obtained permission and special pass to visit villages to impart preventive awareness educations on Covid pandemic. In 164 villages, of 23  Gram Panchayats in 5 Blocks (Semiliguda, Pottangi, Nandapur, Dasmantpur and Koraput Blocks)  7059  people (Female- 3231 and Male- 3828) were made aware on covid appropriate behavior, hand washing, social distancing, wearing of masks, no spitting in public places, avoiding crowds, no hand shaking but namaskar, keeping the surroundings neat and clean and following the Government Covid -guidelines. 14 Virtual Meetings coordinated and attended. 3 video awareness on corona pandemic, appropriate behavior, travel safe and home quarantine was release in four languages - Odiya, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Through FB, Telegram and WhatsApp social platforms the messages and awareness on Covid was shared to more than 5000 people having smart phones.

 

Masks Support: The IRDWSI organized distribution of masks to provide people to be safe from the spread of Corona Virus infection. . The volunteers took masks also to different villages to show the people to use to be protected from Covid -19. 1329 masks were provided to 24 persons those who visited the Field Office, Semiliguda to share it with others in their villages. Apart from providing masks in Odisha, the IRDWSI distributed 2,39,300 masks to different people particularly migrants living in Chennai and Tripur region of Tamil Nadu.  

 

Migrant Workers follow up: The IRDWSI Volunteers identified migrant workers from different villages those who were stranded in indifferent states as migrant workers during the Lock Down period declared by the Government. Many small, medium and large- scale industries were shut down. The organisation with its own resources were able to undertake the following relief activities addressing the issues of the stranded migrant workers in different locations. The IRDWSI assisted in developing a web portal and human resource to maintain the website was extended - Web portal supported – www.migrantwatchindia.in

 

-       Migrant workers details were collected from 44 villages, 18 panchayats from 4 Blocks in Odisha

-       156 migrant workers (F-46 and M-110) were identified working in different States in different trades and facilitated them to return to their respective native places.

-       Dry food ration supply to 3007 migrant workers living in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Praesh

-       Cash Assistance to 707 migrant workers living in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, West Bengal

-       Number of Mask distributed 2,39,300 to stranded migrant workers in Tamil Nadu

-       Mobile Phone Recharged to 19 Group Leaders of migrant workers in Tamil Nadu

-       Assisted travel coordination of 8050 stranded migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh

-       Coordination with Government departments in 6 States - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha was very helpful to assist the migrants workers for their rescue and safe travel back home.

 

Migrant Workers Rescue and Accompaniment: The standard migrants workers from different states were accompanied and addressed their issues - Assam Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 33,, West Bengal Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 24, West Bengal Migrants in Karnataka – 134, Uttar Pradesh  Migrants in Andhra Pradesh – 3, Bihar Migrants in Karnataka – 8, Bihar Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 48, Jharkand Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 6, Jharkand Migrants in Andhra Pradesh – 66, Jharkand Migrants in Odisha – 145, Madhya Pradesh Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 12, Madhya Pradesh  Migrants in Andhra Pradesh – 48, Maharashtra Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 4, Chhattisgarh Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 21, Odisha Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 5106, Odisha Migrants in Karnataka – 233, Odisha Migrants in Kerala – 57, Odisha Migrants in Telangana – 261, Odisha Migrants in Andhra Pradesh – 1015, Odisha Migrants in Odisha – 108, Odisha Migrants in Maharashra – 194, Odisha Migrants in Uttar Pradesh – 10, Odisha Migrants in Gujarat – 244, Odisha Migrants in Chhattisgarh – 9, Odisha Migrants in Delhi – 7238, Karnataka Migrants in Karnataka – 132, Andhra Pradesh  Migrants in Karnataka – 99, Andhra Pradesh  Migrants in Andhra Pradesh – 803, Tamil Nadu Migrants in Odisha – 44 and Tamil Nadu Migrants in Tamil Nadu – 1199

 

Covid Relief Coordination: To implement the covid relief activities, the IRDWSI approached several volunteers to assist the organisation to take forward the relief programmes in different States. We were able to enlist the following number of volunteers located in different States:

 

Tamil Nadu – 18 Volunteers, Karnataka – 10 Volunteers, Kerala – 1 Volunteer, Telengana – 5 Volunteers, Andhra Pradesh – 14 Volunteers, Odisha – 12 Volunteers, Maharashtra – 3 Volunteers, Gujarat – 1 Volunteer, Chattishgarh – 2 Volunteer, Delhi – 3 Volunteers, Assam – 2 and Goa – 1 Volunteers.

 

Coordination with the following NGOs – Apart from the Volunteers the IRDWSI alos enlisted cooperation from different civil society organisations they were: FSD, ATVI, SCINDeA, CRHSE and  RDC in Tamil Nadu, CMS, SCMI, TEDS in Karnataka, CEC, Kerala, FSD, P4D in Telengana, Sujana, Sanklap, Nava Jeevan, Seeds, Vizag Volunteers in Andhra Pradesh,  CSFHNR in Odisha, CED in Maharashtra, Setu and mmP in Gujarat, Media in Chattishgarh, Insaf and CEC in Delhi, NESRC in Assam and Peaceful Society in Goa. Networks contacted nationally and globally were:  Covid 19 Task Group, ODMM Covid group, Covid 19 Civil Society, ECODAWM, ODAF, mm&P, Samata, CeFHA,  CMCJ, Covid Action Collaboration,  and OFG-OIKOTREE,

 

Government Vaccination Awareness data: In the 1^st Phase of vaccination launched by Government the volunteers covered the people belonging to above 60 years of age group. During the reporting period, from 2 Blocks, 2 Panchayats, out of 29 villages 1459 people (F- 739 and M- 720) were vaccinated with Covishield Vaccines. The IRDWSI Volunteers motivated to the concerned people for taking vaccination,

 

National and International Meetings on Migration Watch: Several zoom meetings were organised in relation migrant workers plight and assistance through different platforms, government and non-government meetings, OIKOTREE, World Social Forum more than 3000 people were covered through these meetings.

 

The IRDWSI representatives organised and attended the following virtual meetings:

 

-       08.05.2020 -Law Under Lockdown: Legal Consequence of Covid 19 on Employment Arrangements of MSMEs organised by Trade Promotion / WTC.

-       15.05.2020 - Informal and unorganised workers in the context of Covid 19 pandemic organised by OIKOTREE India group

-       23.05.2020 - India Justice Report: Where Odisha Stands by India Justice / TATA Trust

-       01.06.2020 - Labour and Bondage during time of Disaster - Migrant Labourers Challenges, Mukty Alliance / IJM.

-       01.06.2020 - Citizenship Rights in Corona Pandemic, AIYF Odisha

-       04.06.2020 - Time for Nature, WCC & NCCI

-       05.06.2020 - An Environmental Agenda for Future, CSE

-       05.06.2020 - Gramvani Support for CSE partners, Covid Action Collab

-       11.06.2020 - Social Protection livelihoods, Covid Action Collab

Healing Therapies –The ES, ODAF shared that in the context Covid-19 Corona pandemic and followed by lockdown many people could not go to hospital even for minor ailments.  With the support of an NGO (IRDWSI) and ODAF made available of Zoom linkages. We were able to facilitate several Zoom classes for many people to avail knowledge on simple healing therapies such as Sujok, Homeopathy, Seed Therapy, Acu-pressure, Acu-pepper therapy, Meditation, Yoga, Color, Flower, Nadiswara and Siddha Mudra. By the healing therapies thousands of people benefitted. Most of the linkages and documents were shared with members

 

The IRDWSI Field Volunteers based at Semiliguda carried out a few activities in different Block areas of Koraput District during the above period. The below mentioned Programmes were carried out on priority needs of the people in Khudi Panchayat of Semiliguda and Deopottangi Panchayat of Pottangi Block. During the reporting period, major activities carried  out were – Forest Rights Act (FRA) related Individual Forest Rights claim (IFR) and Community Forest Rights claim (CFR), Child  Welfare Protection Measures, Environment Impact Assessment –Act letter campaign on disadvantages, Millet awareness campaign, strengthening of Palli Sabha, Collection and preservation of Indigenous Seeds, Covid -19 awareness Education and Government Coordination. Details are narrated as mentioned below:

 

Government Coordination Meetings:

 

Meeting with Block Development Officer: The field volunteers met with the Block Development Officer, Semiliguda and shared about the willingness of the IRDWSI to take up awareness education on COVID-19 pandemic in the villages. Accordingly, the Block Development Officer issued COVID-19 mobility PASS to the volunteers of IRDWSI on 8^th April’2020. On 29th of June’2020 further the field staff met with Block Development Officer-Semiliguda, shared on the experiences of COVID-19 awareness education imparted to different villages covering different Gram Panchayats.

 

 

Covid 19 Migrant Workers data from March 2020
Sl	Number of Migrants living in different states	Total	Total
1	Assam Migrants in Tamil Nadu	33	33
2	West Bengal Migrants in Tamil Nadu	24	24
3	West Bengal Migrants in Karnataka	134	134
4	Uttar Pradesh  Migrants in Andhra Pradesh	3	3
5	Bihar Migrants in Karnataka	8
6	Bihar Migrants in Tamil Nadu	40	48
7	Jharkand Migrants in Tamil Nadu	6
8	Jharkhand Migrants in Andhra Pradesh	66
9	Jharkand Migrants in Odisha	73	145
10	Madhya Pradesh Migrants in Tamil Nadu	12
11	Madhya Pradesh  Migrants in Andhra Pradesh	36	48
12	Maharashtra Migrants in Tamil Nadu	4	4
13	Chhattisgarh Migrants in Tamil Nadu	21	21
14	Odisha Migrants in Tamil Nadu	5106
15	Odisha Migrants in Karnataka	233
16	Odisha Migrants in Kerala	57
17	Odisha Migrants in Telangana	261
18	Odisha Migrants in Andhra Pradesh	1015
19	Odisha Migrants in Odisha	108
20	Odisha Migrants in Maharashra	194
21	Odisha Migrants in Uttar Pradesh State	10
22	Odisha Migrants in Gujarat State	244
23	Odisha Migrants in Chhattisgarh State	9
24	Odisha Migrants in Delhi	1	7238
25	Karnataka Migrants in Karnataka	132	132
26	Andhra Pradesh  Migrants in Karnataka	99	.
27	Andhra Pradesh  Migrants in Andhra Pradesh	704	803
28	Tamil Nadu Migrants in Odisha	44
29	Tamil Nadu Migrant in Tamil Nadu	1155	1199
	Total	9832	9832
Sl	Number of Odisha Migrants living in different states	Total	Total
1	Odisha Migrants in Tamil Nadu	5106
2	Odisha Migrants in Karnataka	233
3	Odisha Migrants in Kerala	57
4	Odisha Migrants in Telangana	261
5	Odisha Migrants in Andhra Pradesh	1015
6	Odisha Migrants in Odisha	108
7	Odisha Migrants in Maharashra	194
8	Odisha Migrants in Uttar Pradesh State	10
9	Odisha Migrants in Gujarat State	244
10	Odisha Migrants in Chhattisgarh State	9
11	Odisha Migrants in Delhi	1	7238
	Total	7238	7208
	Response to Covid - 19 Relief
	Awareness of Corona Virus Social Distancing - Semiliguda Block	6700
	Food Ration supply	3007
	Cash Assistance to Migrants	707
	Masks Distributed	223930
	Mobile Phone Recharged of Group Leaders	19
	Travel Coordination of Migrants	8050
	No of Virtual Attended and Coordinated	14
	Corona Awareness video publication - Languages	3
	Social Platforms	FB
	WhatsApp Group	6
	Coordination of Government - States	5
	No. of people engaged for Covid Relief Assistance
	Web portal - www.migrantwatchindia.in  - Support	1