In the landslides-hit Wayanad, two local youths Savil Sunny and Vishnu, were able to utilise social media to create a systematic approach to gather information about missing persons, ensuring that accurate and verified details reached the authorities and families in need.
After the landslides struck Wayanad on the small hours of July 30, Savil Sunny (30) had gone to identify the body of a relative who went missing following the catastrophe.
Recalls Sunny: "I'm not a very emotional person, but I couldn't control myself when I went to identify my kin's body at the hospital morgue. The scene was heart-wrenching, bodies covered in mud, and families in anguish, desperately trying to identify their loved ones."
His personal tragedy apart, Savil and his neighbour Vishnu saw the desperation of the people and realised that a systematic way of gathering information about the missing persons is vital.
Following this, they created a Google Form for people to provide details of those missing in the disaster. Initially, they faced skepticism as people were unsure if the form was genuine. To overcome this, they sent the form to various groups and verified Instagram pages based in Wayanad.
Their breakthrough came when the popular Instagram page "Wayanadgram" made them admins, lending credibility to their efforts. The Wayanadgram page belongs to a NRI who is a friend of Vishnu. The information about missing persons, their photos and other details are received from groups such as Wayanad Friends Group and Wayanad Flood and Rescue Group besides Seva Bharati.
As reliability grew, people started filling out the form, and by the end of the first day, they had over 50 entries. The form included fields for the missing person's name, gender, age, last seen location, missing date, description, and the contact details of the person reporting.
To ensure the data was useful and easily accessible, Savil reached out to a friend who runs a digital marketing company called RAW. They converted the collected data into a PDF, which was then widely circulated. This document included phone numbers, allowing for quick verification of the information. Savil and Vishnu also monitor for fake news to ensure that only verified information is shared.
Their efforts soon caught the attention of authorities. The district collectorates in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode contacted them for information on missing people etc. Recognizing the significance of media in disseminating information, Savil and Vishnu created a WhatsApp group specifically for media personnel to share updates.
Vishnu, a 20-year-old BDS student in Bengaluru, was determined to help despite his parents' concerns. "I felt like I should help them," he says. He took the first bus to Wayanad as soon as he heard about the disaster. His involvement in NSS during schooldays provided him with valuable contacts, which he utilised to gather necessary resources. He also collaborate with Seva Bharati to meet the needs of people in relief camps.
Through their tireless efforts, Savil and Vishnu play a crucial role in organising relief efforts and reuniting families in the landslide-hit Wayanad.