From donating 16.5 tonnes of rice to chipping in with packets of diapers and sanitary napkins, business establishments and individuals in the city have contributed a large amount of relief material for flood victims in Kerala.
The collection drive that started at 9 a.m. on Sunday at Ravindra Bharathi, went on for hours into the night as people from various parts of the city flooded the premises to contribute relief material.
The Confederation of Telugu Region Malayalee Association (CTRMA) had called for the donation drive on August 17 as flood-ravaged Kerala was still reeling under heavy rain.
The association, however, did not expect around five truck loads of essential items to land up at their collection camp’s doorstep.
“We did not expect this overwhelming turnout. We are pleasantly surprised that people of different walks of life contributed each and every essential item that we had listed. Right now, this auditorium, which can seat 10,000 people, is filled with relief material,” said K.S. Manoharan Nair, treasurer of CTRMA.
The organisers said they received contributions in cash from around 500 individual donors.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the city, different unions contributed relief material. At English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), a truck load of relief material was collected and sent using the services of Anbod Kochi, a non-governmental organisation. Collections were made at University of Hyderabad, Lamakaan cultural centre and Tata Institute of Social Sciences on Sunday. Various places of worship and NGOs based in Hyderabad too organised relief collection drive. The Garrison Wesley Church at Lal Bazar has been raising donation for Kerala flood relief and many donors have contributed in kind.
The material collection would go on till Tuesday and the same would be transported to Kerala on Tuesday evening, according to the Church Presbyter, S. Joseph.
