Fisherfolk from Uppada Kothapalli and Konapapapeta near Kakinada have extended helping hand to their Telugu-speaking counterparts from Puri in Odisha when the latter were on the verge of devastation during the aftermath of cyclone Fani.
Besides taking active part in the relief and rehabilitation activities, these fishermen have also distributed rice and groceries that they had collected from the fishing hamlets around their villages to the cyclone victims.
“It was a major cyclone and the poor families were worst affected by it. They have to build their lives from the scratch as the houses were fully damaged and the infrastructure like roads and electricity poles lost their shape,” recalls Ummidi John, former Sarpanch of Uppada, who headed a relief team to Pentakota in Puri municipality, where about 4,300 families lost everything in the nature’s fury.
On his return from a relief camp at Balipanda in Puri where rehabilitation has been provided to about 1,200 families, Bade Vijay of Konapapapeta observes that most of the fishermen from Puri are migrants from the coastal fishing hamlets of Andhra Pradesh. While fisherfolk from Uppada had collected 15 tonnes of rice, their counterparts from Konapapapeta collected another 10 tonnes and taken it to Puri. In all, a 20-member team from the two villages went to the cyclone-affected areas and distributed the help to the needy.
Besides coordinating the effort, the Reliance Foundation has also extended its support to the victims in the form of distributing non-food items.
“With the help of our teams in Odisha, we have provided necessary guidance and assistance to them in completing the task,” explains Chittibabu Nagulapalli, State coordinator of the Reliance Foundation.
