Disaster relief and rehabilitation
Floods, Bihar, 2008
HUL contributed 10,000 kits worth Rs.60 lakhs as the first installment of material for immediate relief of the flood affected families of Araria District in Bihar. The kit contained essential items such as utensils, clothes, blankets and other useful material. In all, 12 truckloads of material were distributed to the affected families under the guidance of the Araria District Magistrate. A sum of 84 lakhs was contributed by HUL employees and the company to rehabilitate the underprivileged amongst the flood-affected families in the village of Jorgama, Madhepura District, Bihar. The Project aims at providing, through a strategic alliance between HUL, ACC & Habitat International, the following facilities to the People in a phased manner:
- Construction of 100 disaster proof houses for the purpose of rehabilitation;
- Construction and development of a Community Resource Centre for people
- Design, development and implementation of livelihood programmes aiming at sustained and increased income for 300 families
- Capacity and capability building of villagers for village development
- Promoting the concept of Self-Help Groups to develop economically, ecologically and viable plans and to mobilize finances for farming and non-farming activities
- Creating alternate livelihood opportunities in the areas of manufacturing of concrete products, sale of hollow brick blocks, fly ash bricks, pavement blocks etc.
- Ensuring the involvement of people in non-farming activities and help create a feasible rapport with fair, remunerative and competitive markets.
- Assist in improving the living condition for at least 300 families
- Development of a model village with provisions for safe drinking water & put in place a mechanism for water resource management, provisions of electricity supply, clinical & sanitation facilities, etc.
Tsunami, South India, 2006
HUL contributed over Rs. 100 million towards relief and rehabilitation of tsunami affected families by the way of providing relief material, land and construction of facilities. The Company distributed nutritional and personal hygiene products worth Rs. 50 million for immediate relief to the needy at the time that tsunami had hit the region. Later, pursuant to a request from the Government of Tamil Nadu on a more pressing need to provide housing to the affected families, HUL donated
5.27 acres of land (market value on a conservative basis is Rs. 45 million) at Tondiarpet, Chennai, to the Government of Tamil Nadu for rehabilitation.
The complex has 960 permanent houses. Employees of HUL made a contribution of Rs. 5 million towards the construction of the facilities in the complex.
On the day of the disaster, employees from our factories and offices in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had provided necessary relief to the Tsunami-hit people. The relief operations included distribution of bread and biscuits to over 500 families in Pondicherry, 12,000 cooked meals for families in Chennai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Andamans. Over 12,000 dry relief packs, comprising of Company's dry rations and personal hygiene products were distributed.
Gujarat Earthquake, 2001
After the devastating earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, HUL reconstructed a village in the Bhachau Taluka of Gujarat's Kutch district in December 2002. Named as Yashodadham, this village was dedicated to 1,100 residents of Nani Chirai village, which was completely wrecked by the earthquake. Yashodadham was constructed with the active involvement of villagers and is spread over 25 acres, comprising 289 homes.
HUL has also supported the construction of a school building, playground, multi-purpose community centre, crèche, health centre, underground reservoir, overhead tank, community room and a village administration office. All the structures are earthquake and cyclone resistant.
