The State government has appealed to the people to refrain from Diwali celebrations and donate the amount saved to rebuild Hudhud-ravaged Visakhapatnam.
In a chat with The Hindu on Friday, Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas said as the people of the city were in distress following the storm that hit the coast, the amount saved by not burning crackers should either be donated to Chief Minister’s Cyclone Relief Fund or spent on a restoration work.
Appeal to NGOsHe also appealed to the NGOs to take up the responsibility of clearing food leftover being thrown away by the cyclone victims at public places. “The city and its neighbourhood are converted into heaps of broken trees and leaves. If garbage lies unattended it may lead to health problems,” he cautioned.
The Minister said GVMC and gram panchayat workers were busy in clearing the fallen trees. Hence, the NGOs should take up the responsibility.
He thanked CMR Group, Symbiosys Technologies and RVR Project for contributing men and material for cleaning the KGH premises and offering relief material to the cyclone-affected people.
VSP union initiativeMeanwhile, CITU union of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has decided to launch a campaign and distribute leaflets to VSP employees to save amount by not celebrating Diwali to donate it to raise greenery that was lost at Ukkunagaram due to the cyclone.
