The first consignment of medicines, biscuits, milk powder and a few blankets collected by the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Spectrum reached Kashmir on Saturday to help the victims affected by the devastating flood.
“The materials, weighing around 500 kg, were airlifted free of cost by Indigo and Spicejet,” said B.M. Chakkravarthi, Secretary of the club.
Mr. Chakkravarthi told The Hindu that members of the club M. Chenthilnathan and K.K. Payal visited the flood-hit areas near Srinagar in Kashmir on September 14. The members, who carried some basic relief materials, stayed there for a couple of days and studied the needs of the affected people. “We learnt that the requirement of the thousands of people varied based on the age groups. Victims aged above 40 years wanted food as they were starving for days. A good number of persons were in need of tablets for blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, gastroenteritis, skin allergies and diarrhoea. Lactating mothers and children asked for milk powder,” the secretary said and added that collecting these materials began soon after the members informed them over phone.
On a war footing the club managed to collect the materials worth more than Rs. 8 lakh, packed it in 45 cartons and despatched them from Coimbatore to Srinagar via New Delhi on Friday afternoon. Two containers of chlorine tablets were also sent as there was a threat for water- borne diseases to spread.
Rotarians here were elated when the consignment reached the camps on Saturday afternoon. “We have received photos from Tehmeena Bhukari and Yattoo, who are heading one of the camps and Shujaat Bhukari and Peer Bilal who are heading another relief camp on how materials sent by has been put to use,” the Rotarian added.
Highly encouraged by the overwhelming response and contribution made by the G30 Rotary Clubs in the city, the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Spectrum was in the process of preparing the next consignment for airlifting in a couple of days. “We are now trying to focus on procuring blankets and send it to the victims as climate there would soon reach freezing temperatures as it was expected to start snowing in the next few days,” Mr. Chakkravarthi said.
Tirupur Staff Reporter adds:
In response to Prime Minister Modi’s appeal to citizens to help the victims of flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir, 15 textile mills in Tirupur, and its suburban areas have contributed to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The entrepreneurs are sending cheques for Rs. 5 lakh through an initiative taken by the Texpreneurs Forum, a knowledge forum formed of different stakeholders in the textile sector.
“This is the first phase of contribution and we are asking more industrialists to contribute to the relief fund,” said D. Prabhu, secretary of Texpreneurs Forum.
