FLOOD RELIEF PROJECT

Bhubaneswar, Sept.19: Gramyashree Charitable Trust conducted an online campaign on its website and other social networking sites like Facebook, and through mass mails by raising funds amongst netizens for less than a week. Yesterday, a team of volunteers led by one of our trustees Ms. Raj Laxmi Dash, travelled to Kanasa block of Puri, which is one of the worst-affected areas in this year's floods in the state of Orissa.

The team managed to cover three villages, namely, Sasana, Bilapatana and Gadisagada of Kanasa block, distributing relief to around 300 families in the region. The items that were distributed were mineral water pouches, ORS powder packets, multi-grain protein powder (chhatua) packets, biscuits, and sanitary napkins etc, among other things.

The team had to hire a boat, which was provided by the local Government officials in the block headquarters. Mr. Chinmaya Kumar Panda, the NREGA Officer of Kanasa block, the local villagers and volunteers were of immense help during the entire programme.

According to the block officials, more than fifty villages in that area are still lying submerged, since the water level is receding very slowly. The villagers are still in distress and in a heartbreaking situation, due to huge losses of life and property. Even after the floods, these villagers are facing several difficulties due to spread of epidemics, lack of safe drinking water, lack of hygienic sanitation facilities etc.

However, the Gramyashree team returned happy by making at least a few villagers smile by providing them some basic relief materials. "They were sad though their smiles were intact. The devastating waters washed things off but still they stood tough" said Raj Laxmi Dash, a Trustee of Gramyashree who supervised the relief camp at Kanasa, about the villagers, after distributing relief-packets while wading through the knee-deep floodwaters.