Bhubaneswar: In light of the destruction caused in 14 districts of the state by cyclone ‘Fani’, help is pouring in from various parts of the country. Students and NGOs lead the way in terms of financial assistance.
Students of Banaras Hindu University collected Rs 27,000 and donated it to CM’s Relief Fund Friday. Despite the current schedule of examination, these students have showcased their empathy in the best possible way.
This apart, Robin Hood Army, a national-level organisation which circulates surplus food from restaurants among the needy, has initiated a mega cyclone relief donation camp for Fani victims.
Members of the NGO first started a ‘Rice Bucket Challenge’ under which they appealed people to donate rice for victims of the cyclone. The challenge involves donating a bucket of rice to a poor person or family.
This idea is attributed to Manju Latha Kalanidhi, a 38-year-old journalist based in Hyderabad. She considered the Ice Bucket Challenge artificial and wasteful of water, and came up with the Rice Bucket Challenge as a less-wasteful alternative that would help local communities.
They are collecting food items (Biscuits, Chuda, Gud, Sattu and Sugar), medical kits (Dettol antiseptic, ORS, Gauge Bandaids, soaps and ointments), Water bottles and Pouches, Tarpolins, mosquito coils, candles and match boxes among other items and sending it to several affected areas of the state.
To cater to the immediate and basic needs of those affected by the cyclone, a team of 100 volunteers from one of India’s leading social sector organisations Smile Foundation has started relief operations in Puri, Khurda and Jagatsinghpur. The foundation stated that it aims to reduce the adverse consequences of disaster on human lives and bridge the gap between governments’ aided relief and immediate need on ground.
“While over 1.1. million people have survived the cyclone in the coastal belt of Odisha, they have no food, drinking water or even homes to go back to. Our teams from Smile Foundation are already on the ground distributing food and water among various other basic necessities to help these lives get back to normalcy,” said Santanu Mishra, Co- founder and Managing Trustee at Smile Foundation, India.
This apart, help is also coming from Odias residing in countries like UK and USA. They may be living miles away from home but their heart still beats for their homeland. Acutely aware their state needs rebuilding, NROs and those living in other parts of the country, are doing their bit to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
This apart foodtech unicorn Zomato also started a relief drive to provide succour for victims in the cyclone-affected area and pave the way for public participation. Working with Feeding India, Zomato is delivering food to victims of the cyclone.
Zomato aims to collect over Rs 50 lakh from its 5,000 employees (Zomans) to aid the relief effort. The company also said that a large number of its 1.8 lakh registered delivery partners were eager to contribute to the cause, and expects to collect more than Rs 8 lakh from them alone.
