PUCL Bulletin, March 2001
Reconstruction
of earthquake affected areas of Gujarat
Dear friends, A leading Gandhian Sarvodaya worker (actually a leader but the
language of the alternative politics does not like to use the word leader) Shri
Jyoti Bhai Desai based in Gujarat has written an appeal to some of the friends
with a request that I forward it to all my contacts. This appeal displays his
supreme confidence in the people and the civil society actors rather than the
work done by the government bureaucracy with the loans from BRETENWOOD institutions.
If you have any lobbying capacity than I would like you to help Jyoti Bhai in
this campaign. I am forwarding the text of his letter along with his postal
address to you.
Several opinion leaders of Gujarat and some movement leaders like Medha Patkar
have drafted "Principles and Provisions suggested for Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction policy in Earthquake affected areas of Gujarat". I think
Jyoti Bhai's letter must be read along with these principles. The campaign against
World Bank loan would also require some of us to initiate a debate on alternative
modes of rehabilitation and sources of funding as well. I share Jyoti Bhai's
view that funding for the reconstruction of Gujarat could be mobilised from
the people of the Family Earth and not from BRETENWOOD institutions because
it will be very destructive to the fragile ecology of Kutch and Saurashtra region.
Irrespective of the earthquake the ecology of this region is very fragile and
any conventional bureaucratic development/rehabilitation plan for the region
will do irreversible damage to the region. -- In solidarity, Vijay Pratap,
23 Feb 2001.
Message from Jyotibhai Desai
Dear Vijay Pratap, Smitu Kothari, & Colleagues
This is an SOS !
Could there be some way to prevent the state and the Central Governments from
taking loans from BRETENWOOD institution or from any foreign agencies ?
KUTCH is a strong and very self reliant place. KUTCHIS of Bombay have been those
who have had a major role in creating the Business capital of India-Bombay.
Our feedback from NGO groups is that people in Kutch want work and not doles.
The failure of the government is a matter well realized by the common man. Bureaucracy
has never cared for the poor. So all loans will surely be misused.
I think Gujarat and its people with the assistance of all NGOs from everywhere
will overcome this crisis if the government and authorities do not interfere.
Hence it is that I am seeking ways, a forum or some higher level group which
will raise this voice and the issue that the nation should not be burdened by
any new loans, least of it from World Bank or IMF.
"Lets be self reliant".
Do spread the message give me tips to carry out this proposal. -- Sincerely,
Jyoti Bhai Desai
Principles and provisions suggested for rehabilitation and reconstruction policy
in earthquake affected areas of Gujarat:
1. Now that the emergency and the first phase of rescue and relief is almost
over, we urge that all the governmental and non governmental agencies must urgently
shift to the employment generation plans and programs with food-for work arrangements,
ensuring livelihood opportunities for the earthquake affected.
2. Every group involved in the social, economic, & physical reconstruction
of Kutch and Saurashtra-the earthquake affected region must grant and respect
people's right to information and right to participate in the planning process,
with full freedom of statement at every stage of planning and execution. There
should be complete transparency and accountability on the part of the State
and the donor agencies.
3. Community participation must be sought through representatives of various
socio economic sections within as a precondition for design, planning, site
and material selection, material procurement, construction, and utilization
of resources.
4. The earthquake-affected members of the community should be given the top
priority in skilled and unskilled livelihood opportunities arising during the
reconstruction and rehabilitation process.
5. Whether for cities, towns, or villages, relocation should as far as possible,
be avoided.
6. New community location should be planned with clear consent from each mohallas/falia
[vaas] and as far as possible, the village commune.
7. Where there is even partial, minimum relocation of a community, forcible,
unjust land acquisition should be avoided. The scheduled castes, schedules and
nomadic tribes, other socially and economically backward class communities,
should be especially protected against land alienation.
8. No urban relocation, if any, should be at the displacement or deprivation
cost of the rural communities.
9. Reconstruction planning should include apart from housing, community amenities
[health, education, water supply, grazing ground, etc], all of which can be
part of the final village resettlement plan.
10. New housing and community reconstruction should have facilities for land
conservation, maximum rainwater harvesting, soak pits & drainage, along
with other appropriate technology measures to fill water and energy requirements.
11. It is not the choice of material but choice of house-building technology
that is one of the main factors determining the scale and nature of earthquake
impact. In reconstruction, therefore, the choice of technology should necessarily
be based on multiple criteria, including self-reliance of the community, availability
of the material, and earth-quake proofing technology.
12. There should be no forcible, stereotype housing imposed on people, killing
or rejecting their diversity of type of technology, and cultural aspects.
13. Wherever possible, such as in the villages of Saurashtra, retrofitting should
be a priority over new construction.
14. Not big companies or builders, but the representatives of affected communities,
people's organizations, NGOs, and the local government should form a body for
decision making at every level of planning and execution of a project, where
funds and inputs are to come from outside the community.
15. All funds received from any agency, national or international, including
the collection of surcharge, must be deposited into a separate fund / account
related to the earthquake disaster and must be utilized only for the purpose
for which it is assigned.
16. An independent high power committee with eminent persons from various walks
of life should be immediately constituted to monitor the planning and execution,
including expenditure at each - national, state and local - stage.