Systems and institutions sustain social work in the fields of education, healthcare, etc. In case of natural disasters like the earthquake in Bhuj or the flash floods in Uttarakhand, it is the compassionate hand of the individuals and corporates that provide the greatest relief.

The effects of the Bhuj Earthquake reached till the ancestral home of the Navneet family. The help that was extended by the Navneet Foundation to the victims of the quake was beyond money. It included robust housing projects, administrative involvement in the rehabilitation process, as well using networks for providing ration, healthcare and public relief to the area.

Bihar and Uttarakhand, although geographically far, received similar help from the Navneet Family during their times of need. The Owner Driven Reconstruction program, formulated and executed during the Bhuj Earthquake rehabilitation, was successfully implemented in these states as well.

The Bhuj Earthquake

26th January 2001. The quiet of a lazy holiday morning was broken by passionate shrieks of school children calling out “Vande Mataram!” It was the 50th anniversary of India becoming a democratic republic. Today, there would be celebrations.

Instead, at 9am, one of India’s worst natural disasters struck Bhuj in Gujarat, and its surrounding villages. Buildings collapsed. People got crushed under tons of debris. Some died instantly. Some died slowly, in pain, suffocating or starving. The tragedy claimed lives of 17,000 people.

The Navneet Foundation was one of the first to respond to the calamity. Navneet Family members immediately flew to ground zero to take stock of the situation. They also carried basic rations and first aid with them.

The Mumbai and Ahmedabad offices of Navneet were in full flow of directing critical supplies like water, medication and clothing from donors and NGOs in the big cities. While donors donate, it takes a clever mind to manage these resources so that they don’t go to waste and are properly allocated.

Another major task taken on by Navneet Foundation was of administration at the site of disaster. Truckloads of donations were coming in – food, clothes, even money and volunteers. Government agencies were also part of the fray. In such a scenario, it is easy for chaos to reign supreme. The earthquake victims did not know who to approach for what kind of help. The government agencies did not know what problems the victims had. The NGOs did not know what help to give where. It was really the experience of managing a huge business empire that let the coordinators from Navneet Family and others manage all these diverse elements effectively.

Post-earthquake, the Navneet Bhojanalay in Bhuj served over 5 lakh people for free during the first few days and later at a nominal charge of Rs 5 per meal. Those who required surgery for their injuries were taken to hospitals supported by Navneet.

Navneet Foundation came up with Owner Driven Reconstruction program where people were given roofs over their heads. Plans were drawn up to give enough material to the quake victims to build a 180sqft single storied house. Navneet Foundation provided construction material to each villager. More than 200 houses were built in 2 quake affected villages.

The Bihar Floods

In 2008, one of the largest floods in modern India ended up affecting 2.3 million people in the densely populated state of Bihar. Houses, cattle and people were washed away when the river Kosi, tore through her embankment and waves upon waves of her water rushed out engulfing cities, villages and connecting roads. Just like during the Bhuj Earthquake, people’s woes were similar – no water, no food, families lost their houses. Priority was to be given to providing homes for people because once an individual has a house, he becomes self-sufficient enough to manage other resources and to help others too. An Owner Driven Reconstruction program was run here as well. Navneet Foundation adopted two villages – Ola and Beedbhoom. Construction material and aid was provided to the flood victims in the villages, allowing them to build make-shift but fixed houses. With a roof over their heads, it became easier for them to help themselves with redevelopment after the flood waters receded.

Uttarakhand Floods

In 2013, flash floods because of massive cloudburst, hit the quaint state of Uttarakhand, affecting lakhs of pilgrims making their annual trips to Rishikesh, Kedarnath and other pilgrimages. In minutes, huge swathes of water came down the mountains, affecting a massive 13 districts. Landslides and boulder avalanches followed. People from all over the country lost kin. But, likedisaster, the most affected were the locals. This time, not only did Navneet Foundation (through Samasta Mahajan group), but its employees too followed in their footsteps donating a full day’s salary towards the project. Again, the focus was on enabling people to help themselves by giving them a roof over their head, through providing them construction material and aid to build their own houses. With the involvement of people like Likadhar Gada, the Owner Driven Reconstruction programme was executed swiftly and efficiently, Navneet adopted two villages for this programme.