KOCHI: Help is pouring in for residents of Odisha, who were badly affected in the Cyclone Fani, the worst to hit the country in recent times. Pooling in money and relief-items are NGO’s and voluntary organisations residents of the capital with residents chipping in to help the state get back to its original state.
Organisations like Flood Volunteer’s Family, Rise Up and Ebinezer Community Development Mission, which saw its genesis during the Kerala floods are contributing largely to the cause. Sobha Viswanath’s Weaver’s Village which has been a collection centre for various other relief activities is in the centre of the drive. Aries Plex SL Cinemas serves as another collection point. “People are bringing clothes and relief materials. It is then collected by the responsible persons. However, it is quite slow unlike the time when the floods hit our state,” said a worker at Sobha’s boutique,
“Lack of awareness of such initiatives is another factor as to why there is no quick response to the relief measures,” said Anup Abdulla, assistant professor at Kollam Medical College. Probably the geographical distance is proving to be a barrier for people to come and support the cause, he said.
“There’s only one box of garments in our collection so far, unlike our Bangalore centres which are doing much better”, said Anup who was visiting the collection spot at Weaver’s Village.
A group of NGO’s which collaborated earlier during the Kerala floods have geared up for the recent Fani relief works and are planning to hand over the relief materials to the concerned people of the Odisha Government with the aid of National Disaster Response Team.
NGO’s from Bangalore and Chennai are also collaborating with the associations in the capital. Similarly, Anbodu Kochi and teams from other districts are also actively involved.
Important items which are required include tarpaulin, instant food items like noodles and biscuits, bottled water, bedsheets, medicinal items like paracetamol, dettol, band-aid, insect repellant, candles, soap, toothpaste and sanitary napkins.