Help pours in amid echoes of distress in flood-hit Vijayawada

Besides the government’s efforts to provide relief in the rain-hit areas, many organisations and individuals are lending a helping hand to the affected population

Volunteers packing food sponsored by the CII to be distributed among the flood victims in Vijayawada on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Amid the flood fury that has left thousands of people in many districts of Andhra Pradesh grappling with fear and anxiety, a wave of compassion, empathy and help has emerged from different quarters.

Besides the best efforts of the government to address the grief and loss of the people in the rain-battered areas, organisations and individuals are rising to the occasion to lend a helping hand to the affected population.

Officials at the helm of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went beyond their role of providing commuting service to the crowd gathered at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) by providing food to nearly 2,000 people from the flood-ravaged regions in Vijayawada city.

People thronged the bus station at midnight on September 1 to travel to different destinations but were stranded due to the shortage of bus services. The next day, the APSRTC authorities distributed food and water to a crowd of 30,000 people.

The members of Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Federation donated 25,000 food packets and 50,000 water bottles. The Chambers has requested its members and affiliated associations to contribute for the welfare of the people displaced due to flood.

Members of the Vijayawada Chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have donated 25,000 water bottles and 25,000 food packets and biscuit packets as part of the relief measures in progress.

Young volunteers of the Vijayawada chapter of Robin Hood Army, an organisation of people who dedicate their free time to collecting surplus food from restaurants to feed the hungry and the poor, have hit the areas under thick sheets of water. They reach out to the flood victims and address their immediate needs.

Acting as the bridge between the donors and the needy, a 20-member volunteer team wade through water to ensure that essentials reach the stranded families. “Accepting money is against the policy of the organisation. We are collaborating with individuals and organisations such as Akshaya Patra to distribute food and other essentials,” said Grandhi Ajay, the city unit president of the organisation.

D. Nanda Sai and Y. Dhanya have been busy for the last few days, leveraging technology to help those affected by the deluge. Doctors by profession, they are connecting volunteers and the stranded victims through their Instagram page. “Initially, we attached people in need of help to the relevant officials of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC). With more areas coming under the flood water, making it impossible for the authorities to address effectively the problems growing in magnitude, we called out for more volunteers. We were not disappointed,” says Ms. Dhanya.

Her friend Nanda Sai, with the help of his restaurateur friend Mohith, has hired a tractor and started distributing food in the affected areas.