POST OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS OF A MODEL VILLAGE IN MUZAFFARGARH: REVIEWING POST DISASTER REHABILITATION EFFORTS BY THE GOVERNMENT IN PUNJAB

Abstract

Pakistan is a country that often faces the problem of severe floods during the monsoon season. The floods of 2010 in the rivers Indus and Chenab brought a lot of destruction, with thousands of villages destroyed, along with millions of people displaced in Punjab. Providing temporary and permanent shelter to affected communities is a daunting task for any state; therefore, various approaches were used to handle this situation. The Government of Pakistan established a system of model villages under the umbrella of the Government of Punjab, within the flood affected areas in Punjab. The main objective to achieve through this exercise was to provide permanent shelter to the displaced families in the form of well-organized villages equipped with basic amenities, fostering an environment conducive to improving their overall living conditions either at the original location or alternative sites.  The model village Rakh Jalwala in district Muzaffargarh was selected to understand and analyze these efforts in terms of post disaster rehabilitation in Pakistan. This model village is the largest village out of the 22 model villages in terms of size and facilities provided which was constructed completely under the government intervention on a new location as a part of post flood rehabilitation scheme.  The purpose of this study was to delve into the present conditions and assess the impact on inhabitant’s lives, ultimately providing recommendations for further positive change. This was done by a detailed survey and application of data analysis via questionnaires and interviews of resettled flood affectees to vouch for the practicality and use of the basic and sophisticated amenities provided in these villages.  The study concludes that, overall, the flood-affected residents express general satisfaction with the design and facilities of the Model Village. This supports the notion that the Model Village approach is a reasonable and effective strategy for rehabilitation efforts. However, the report emphasizes the need for continuous efforts and a need of proper check and balance of provided services by concerned departments. It is necessary to ensure the regular maintenance of public facilities within the model villages. In the future, it is imperative to incorporate the preferences and feedback of residents regarding house size and design for post flood building back better initiatives for affected communities. To enhance safety and emergency preparedness, it is advisable to include staircases in house

designs to facilitate rooftop access. Moreover, increasing the height of structures is recommended to improve safety and enable efficient rescue operations during adverse conditions.