The call from the Amboori flood relief camp, some 40 kilometres south-east of the State capital, on August 16 was full of distress, seeking help with relief materials and food for the 60 residents of the camp.
Deepak and Krishnan, volunteers coordinating collection of relief materials in the district, sprung into action. A consignment was quickly put together to be supplied to the camp.
On reaching there with the materials, they found many more such groups. On enquiry, they found that beyond the Neyyar river that borders Amboori, there are five hamlets in Puravimala, where about 30 families of Kani tribespeople live. Cut off from the mainland, they had no access to food and other supplies. The relief workers crossed the river with the help of the forest staff and reached the settlements with supplies.
‘‘I spoke to the people there. Now, a camp has been set up at a school at Puravimala. They have adequate supplies too,’’ says Mr. Krishnan.
Such initiatives that go beyond the government schedule is what marks relief operations now. ‘‘We get distress calls via social media.
After verifying the authenticity of the calls, relief materials are sent to the camps directly,’’ says Mr. Deepak. He has just returned from such a jaunt to Chengannur with medicines.
‘Oppamundu Trivandrum’ is a similar initiative. The group collects items at its main centre at Pattom and then ferries them to the camps directly. ‘‘We also send volunteers with each consignment to ensure that the materials reach those in need,’’ says Shalin John, the coordinator of the group.
By sending volunteers to the camps directly, the needs there can be better gauged, say Kishore and Suraj, who work with Ms. Shalin. ‘‘The day after the district got flooded, we visited a camp at Neyyattinkara and found that there was no food for the residents,’’ they say.
The initiative to reach out personally on need basis is amply backed by private vehicle or truck owners, who provide transport for free for such a shipping. ‘‘Apart from the people ready to volunteer, companies come to us offering help. The company I work for not only granted me leave, but also offered sponsorship for our effort,’’ she says.
To reach out thus, the volunteers depend heavily on social media networks. ‘‘As soon as we get a WhatsApp message on the requirements, we begin working on it. At times, we find calls for help are often from groups based locally. This we get to know when we reach the spot. There will not actually be a need but a ploy by certain religious or political groups to garner materials in bulk and distribute in their name to gain local mileage,’’ a volunteer says.
There were also instances when volunteers had to face protests from local political party workers who refused to let them attend to the flood-hit.
