Dear Editor,
The President, government, and Ministers are hailed for their handling of flood and relief efforts, in particular doling out grants to affected farmers, homeowners, and victims at large over the last week. The Ministry of Agriculture, in particular, is praised for their encouragement, support, and re-planting crops and re-stocking of animals.
The recent May/June flood left (and still leaves) much of the country helpless, impacting infrastructure, property, agriculture, livestock, and human lives. The government and the public at large reached out to these victims with urgency. Many people and some businesses responded generously helping victims. The President, government, some Ministries (in particular Agriculture, Social Security, Local Government, Infrastructure, Housing, Information) were very quick with response with food hampers, relief materials, temporary shelter, and medical or health trauma-related aid and information. Community volunteers and NGOs were at the forefront in helping people and delivering relief materials. Persons came forward wholeheartedly to help those affected by the ravaging floods. Volunteers gave countless hours of service to help those in distress. Transportation was difficult to reach victims to rescue them. Volunteers had to make their way to flooded areas in boats and vehicles in very difficult circumstances, packing materials spanning over weeks, wading through deep waters to reach victims especially in the hinterland areas cut off by flood waters.
The contributions of volunteers must be recognized and rewarded if not with cash grants, certainly with a certificate (award) of appreciation. Donors must also be recognized for their generosity as well as all those from ministries and the tractor pump owners who played a meaningful role in draining flood waters. Some staff from the Ministry, not to mention the Minister himself, the Director-General, the Chair of NDIA, etc., worked long hours daily, late in the evening, behind the scenes to mitigate flood effects. The Minister, the DG, Chair were praised for their hard work and for being on the ground night and day since the flooding began to offer relief to distressed farmers, initiating steps to re-start planting and livestock rearing. The public would probably never know of the heroic role of several of them.
Sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram
