Ivy League grads join crowdsourcing effort
overcome the adversities they have been facing for the past few days,” he posted on Twitter.
The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with Kerala..., he added.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said this was a difficult time for the state’s people. “In relief camps & homes across the state, people are grieving for their loved ones. On this Onam let us pledge to put aside our differences, stand united together and focus on the task of #RebuildingKerala,” he tweeted.
Reflecting communal amity, more than 240 youngsters from different religious backgrounds got together to clean up a temple at Aluva near Kochi, filled with mounds of dirt and mud left by River Periyar.
At Alappuzha, among the worst hit in the second spell of rains, Onam was celebrated at a mosque.
In Kuttanad, most of which is still waterlogged, many people are still in relief camps.
In the famous Thrikakkara temple at Kochi, dedicated to Vamana, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the usual “Onam sadya” was not held this year.
Onam commemorates the return of mythical demon king Mahabali to see his beloved subjects at t he beginning of ‘Chingam’, the first month of the Malayalam calendar.
As rescue operations are almost complete, government is now focussing on rehabilitation.
At least 70,000 houses have been damaged fully or partially, sources in the chief minister’s office said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a three-member UNICEF team visited relief camps in Alapuzha district and praised the administration’s efforts in maintaining cleanliness, quality of food and safety aspects, district collector S Suhas posted on Facebook.
Actors, including Mamootty and singer KS Chitra, visited various relief camps.
The Air Force has handed over a cheque for ~20 crore to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
A report from Tamil Nadu stated that 256 electricity transformers and 40,000 power meters, apart from one lakh litres of ‘Amma’ brand bottled drinking water, have been sent to the state. NEWDELHI: Anil Antony has joined relief operations in flood-hit Kerala, helping those affected by the monsoon fury that has displaced about a million people and killed more than 260.
Anil, son of Congress veteran AK Antony, has arranged food items, drinking water, medical supplies and other relief materials over the last few days for flood-hit people in the state that is grappling from the most devastating deluge in a century.
A graduate of Stanford University, Anil tied up with his Faisal Patel, a Harvard University graduate and Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel’s son, to crowdsource relief item through social media campaigns.
“...the relief operation doesn’t have any political patronage or connection,” said Faisal.
When they decided to join the relief work, their first stop to collect materials was Jammu and Kashmir. “We got tonnes of apples and other materials from people in Kashmir,” said Anil.
The food supplies reached Kerala with logistical help from a number of companies, including Goair. “We hope to distribute at least 150 to 200 tons of relief materials,” said Faisal. On Saturday, they were in Manantavadi tribal areas in Wayanad district.
Anil said the relief operation was a humbling experience. “I remember that at Chenganoor, one of the worst affected places in Alleppy, there were around 10,000 people in a school building. Almost everyone there had lost someone in the family and heavy financial losses. When we came with help, they said, please help those people first who have lost more than us. Such a show of magnanimity even at the time of such a disaster is a heart-wrenching experience,” said Anil.