Chennai, districts do their bit for Uttarakhand victims

CHENNAI: Several organisations in the city have pitched in to support the Uttarakhand flood victims, raising funds and sending relief material to those still stranded. While some have contributed a day's salary, others are collecting material and funds by going door to door or by spreading the word through social networking sites.

 Other districts in state have also contributed their mite. A truck with 2,000 pairs of T-shirts and pants, 10,000 packets of biscuits, 60 blankets, buckets, rain coats, umbrellas and other essentials worth Rs 10 lakh arriveed here from Trichy on Wednesday morning. The Tirupur Exporters' Association and India Knit Fair Association in Coimbatore donated Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the victims.

Over the next three days, students and staff of Loyola College, Chennai will collect funds and send it to those helping the victims. "I have appealed to students to raise as much funds as they can. We would like to participate in the rebuilding of the holy shrines in Uttarakhand," principal G Joseph Anthony Samy said.

The All India Students' Association and the Revolutionary Youth Association are setting up collection boxes on road sides. Trade Union members have also contributed a day's salary towards the funds.

"So far, we have collected only around Rs 25,000, but we're sure we'll be able to send more than Rs 1 lakh," said Jawahar S, state honorary president of All India Central Council of Trade Unions.

Chennai Cares, an organisation formed by city residents, has started a blog with details, including priority of material needed and where donors should deliver the articles. The young and old alike have contributed medicines, warm clothing, food, bags and even umbrellas. "The blog http://chennai-cares.blogspot.in/ is regularly updated with the list of materials needed the most. Air India is airlifting our materials free of cost," said Rama Subramanian, a Chennai Cares member.

A few city groups such as Punjab and Rajasthan associations are also providing monetary assistance.

A statement from the Punjab Association said their target was Rs 25 lakh. Apart from students and members chipping in, the association will add Rs 10 lakh. The Rajasthan Association plans to collect Rs 5,000 each from its more than 1,000 members, said a member.

Officers at the Armed Forces Tribunal have pledged their day's salary of Rs 27,746 to the PM's Relief Fund, according to a statement.

Some individuals have also come forward to help. P Vishnucharan, correspondent of the Shree Niketan Group of Schools, gave his one month's salary and announced that staff and students of the school can contribute to the collection on Saturday.

Source: http://to.ly/m1iG