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Help God’s Own Land – Kerala

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In the worst flood of the century for Kerala, it has become difficult to keep track of reliable sources to provide practical support to our people. Read below to find a list of methods and organisations to support the cause and sufferers of Kerala.

Since the past two and a half months, Kerala has been in a state of despair. The monsoon season took a disastrous toll this year into what has now been termed the ‘worst flood of the century’. The Chief Minister (CM) of the state announced on Friday evening that the lives of 324 people had been claimed, over three lakhs had been displaced into relief camps, and the affected individuals were over two crores.

As a university with the student population hailing from diverse backgrounds and states, the University of Delhi (DU) has the responsibility to participate in helping the victims and the sufferers in every way practically possible. Apart from offering moral and emotional support to all our friends from Kerala, it is integral to contribute to the rescue/relief mission through donations.

Here are some authentic organisations which are accepting donations, and providing methods to serve the cause:

  • Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund

Pinarayi Vijayan said, “At this point of time, nothing can help as much as money.” In lieu of this, the CMDRF serves as the most authentic, secure and trustworthy way to donate money. The account details are as follows:

Account number: 67319948232
Bank: State Bank of India
Branch: City branch, Thiruvananthapuram
IFS Code: SBIN0070028
PAN: AAAGD0584M
Account-holder Name: CMDRF

Either go to the website- http://www.donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in, and fill the Online Donation Form by logging in, to be redirected to a payment gateway, or use any online portal to directly send the money to the aforementioned account.

The donor may use a Demand Draft, or cheques and address those to the Principal Secretary (Finance Treasure) and send to the following address:

Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund,

Secretariat,

Thiruvananthapuram – 695001

  • NGO Goonj

Goonj is an NGO located in various parts of the country, including Delhi-NCR. Along with money, the sufferers in Kerala are in dire need of numerous items. The NGO has a website- https://www.goonj.org/dropping-centres/ which has a list of all the places in Delhi where collections are being conducted.

The items required by the individuals trapped in the floods are bed sheets, blankets, undergarments, rice, dals, Dettol, torches, sanitary napkins, biscuits, tinned foods, candles, sleeping mats, sugar, and turmeric powder.

  • Kerala Rescue

This is an initiative undertaken as collaboration between the Government of Kerala, Kerala State IT Mission and IEEE Kerala Section, and it provides multiple ways to help the cause in Kerala. From monetary donations to volunteering services, you can provide your support in every possible way. For the stranded individuals’ families, there is an option to access the helplines and relief camps.

Here is the link to the website: https://www.keralarescue.in/

  • Paytm

The most accessible alternative for all students, Paytm has dedicated an option on its home-page which allows users to donate for Kerala floods. It is a safe option which only requires you to enter your details, log-onto the app, and makes the transaction as conveniently as possible.

Your BHIM UPI details are also of use for the same, and you receive a receipt in the mail which assures that your donation has been successfully accepted.

  • Amazon India

This is perhaps the most practical measure in terms of non-monetary donations to the state. The popular e-commerce giant has partnered with three NGOs, namely- Habitat for Humanity, World Vision India, and Goonj. On the website/app, there is a page dedicated to the donations for the affected in Kerala where each NGO has a wish-list of products, ranked in order of priority. As mentioned in the list above, the items vary according to the pressing need of the area in which the NGO is prominently delivering.

On the addition of the products to the cart in the usual way, select the gift registry address of the NGO (mentioned there) in the address portal, and then Amazon will deliver to the said address from where the NGOs will be responsible for getting those to the flood victims.

  • Uday Foundation

Uday Foundation, located in New Delhi, has a page dedicated to the Kerala Flood Relief Mission on its official website- http://www.udayfoundationindia.org/kerala-flood-relief-3/ and there is a provision to make donations of money and other items as well.

In order to make online donations to the victims through the foundation, use the following details:

Bank name: HDFC Bank

Branch: Adchini, New Delhi 110017

Account name: UDAY FOUNDATION FOR CDRBG TRUST

Type: Savings

Account number: 03361450000251

IFS Code: HDFC0004397

The cheques and demand drafts are to be made in the favour of “UDAY FOUNDATION FOR CDRBG TRUST”, and the same must be sent to the following address:

Uday Foundation,

13A/1, Adhchini,

Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110017

The same page also mentions the items that are needed by the victims, and also gives details of where to send the items (the head office is the usual address). The live social media updates by the foundation make it easy to keep track of the happenings in Kerala, and also provide the donor with a sense of belief that the donations have been delivered to the right place.

  •  Person Finder

In partnership with the government, Google has launched the following website: https://www.google.org/personfinder/2018-kerala-flooding to locate those who need rescue. According to multiple sources, every family in Kerala has at least one missing member, and it is significant to extend help by filling the form for those who can’t do it themselves right now. The network connectivity in the state, as expected, has deteriorated to an inaccessible condition. It is important for all of us to be vigilant about our peers or acquaintances that have families stranded in the state.

  • Kerala House

Kerala House is the official state mission on behalf of the Government of Kerala, located in New Delhi. As a highly reliable organisation, the place will be airlifting goods and necessities to be provided to the victims of the flood. The items must be delivered to the following address:

Kerala House, No. 3 Jantar Mantar Road,

Janpath, Connaught PlaceDelhi- 110001

The place is open for seven hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be airlifting goods on multiple dates. Make sure to deliver your items at the soonest possible time, so that help can be extended earlier.

  • Flood- Kerala Emergency Numbers (App)

In a flurry of social media messages and pictures, it becomes difficult to keep track of authentic helpline numbers. This app on the Google Play store provides a list of such numbers that can be contacted by the victims and the ones searching for missing people in Kerala. By downloading the app through the given link- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.braveheartcreations.floodhelpinenumbers, one can keep others informed about the right numbers and people to contact.

It is important to note that the innumerable calls being made to helplines at the moment makes the numbers a tad unavailable to reach, but there are a number of options available as of now. Keep trying to contact the numbers mentioned in the app, and help is going to find the sufferers hopefully in time.

  • DONATE Kerala

In order to collect relief materials to support the needy in Kodagu, Aranmula, Pandalam and Pathanamthitta, Aranmula (districts in Kerala), Prateek Debnath and Sreelakshmi Menon have initiated a drive. The collection points are situated in Dwarka Mor and Connaught Place, from where the essential items will be flown to the affected population through Indigo Airlines.

The items will be transported from New Delhi by Friday, 24th August 2018.

One may directly drop the packed items at the given locations, or may coordinate with the following representatives:

Prateek Debnath: +918700377767

Anindita Debnath: +919560499602

Apart from these initiatives, there are many Malayalee groups in the various college of DU, which are providing comfort and practical support to the families of the victims in Kerala. Hindu College, Daulat Ram College, Jesus and Mary College, St. Stephen’s College, Miranda House, and Lady Shri Ram College have been organising informal collection and donation drives with affiliation to the Malayalee committees and the Student Unions of the respective institutes.

One member of the Malayalee community at Lady Shri Ram College, Athira Raj, voiced her advice to the ones willing to help- “Although rescue teams have saved lakhs of people, there are still lakhs who are stranded. Some, about whom people don’t even know. They try to call for help through Facebook posts. So people should keep an eye out for them.”

There is a strong wave of support for God’s Own Land right now in the institutes of Delhi, and it is our prerogative as human beings to participate in it for our people, who have given us countless memories through their culture, aesthetic atmosphere, warm locals, and home-like vacations.

If you have any further information on authentic sources of help, contact the undersigned or team DU Beat with the details. Our home is breaking, and we must stand united to keep it alive.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Anushree Joshi
[email protected]

Journalism has been called the “first rough draft of history”. D.U.B may be termed as the first rough draft of DU history. Freedom to Express.

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