Ever wondered what it is to live in a place where every time the wind blows, you sense a sudden chill run down your body… But, for the people of Jharkhali region in the Sunderbans, this is their reality. Currently, this sense of fear and uncertainty has been brought by Cyclone Amphan that wrecked the region. It broke the river bunds, flooded the farmlands with salt water and washed away homes apart from affecting the food security of the region.
Goonj is closely working with the people of Jharkhali to revive their lives again. In the Parbatipur village of the region, encouraged by our team, the villagers worked towards river bund repairing, vegetable garden making and playground maintenance whereas in Prajagheri village, activities like school playground building and village road making were undertaken. In addition to this, while the villagers of Sahid Nagar set up two community kitchen gardens and repaired a brick road, the locals of Parbatipur village repaired the damaged river bund on the Malta River. Goonj rewarded their efforts with essential Rahat Kits along with Sujnis, Asans and Tarpaulins.
Comprising 17 villages, the Jharkhali region was once a popular tourist destination, especially among foreign travelers. However, the series of disasters over the last few years has forced the young men of the region, who were earlier engaged in fishing, crab catching and farming, to migrate to the neighboring states in search of work. Moreover, the flooded fields, an aftermath of the cyclone, have also resulted in the non-availability of food crops and the skyrocketing vegetable prices. The people here need our support to rebuild their lives. We are there…Need you too…
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