The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is planning to work towards long-term engagement in Kerala, in the aftermath of the floods.
It has set up a steering committee convened by the acting director for the same, and two professors will be going to Kerala next week to assess the requirement of the State.
“We have formed a steering committee, which includes senior professors who are from the State and professors who have dealt with disasters in the past,” Dr. Shalini Bharat, acting director, TISS, said.
The steering committee has identified specific areas where the institute can contribute, for example in damage and impact assessment, where it will provide support in finding out what kind of relief is required, where it is required and in what way it should be provided. It can also contribute in the psychosocial counselling for those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods in the tragedy.
“In case of any disaster, the first act is rescue operations, where we have little role to play. Our work starts once that is over. Now that the waters have receded we are looking at a long-term institutional response to the tragedy,” Dr. Bharat said.
She said that they will be working with the government and local bodies to identify any gaps in rehabilitation efforts and provide the necessary support. “Kerala has a very robust system from the government to the panchayat level and hence we will be engaging with them as well as local schools of social work to ensure that there is no duplication of work,” Dr. Bharat said.
TISS has in the past provided support in cases of natural disasters most recently in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake in 2015. It has also asked its faculty and staff to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
