We did our part - Gaja relief measures

Gaja Cyclone blown the Delta Region of Thamizh Nadu on November with a wind speed of 100 – 140 km/hr. This strong cyclone almost swiped off many lives and livelihood of the people who live in the Delta Region. Delta region is the Granary of Thamizh Nadu, aka the powerhouse of agriculture.

Packing things

Bananas for distribution

Tarpauline sheets 10 nos

Gaja storm dissipated through Vedaranyam, Nagapattinam district. This cyclone also affected Thiruvarur, Pattukottai, Pudhukottai and Thanjavur districts. It left an unforgettable mark in everyone’s life in the area. Nearly 60 persons died, 1000s of deers, birds and cattle died because of this storm.

Rice for camps

In the time of cultivation, acres of crops, and acres of saltern drowned in the rain water. Many farms in and around the affected areas witnessed huge cut down of more than 5000 trees. Many trees fell by unable to withstand the storm’s speed in narrow state highways blocking the transport. Villages in the interior part were the most affected. People of such villages almost left with nothing but their life. They’ve lost their livelihood which is nothing but agriculture.

To restore the affected agricultural areas, it’ll take more than 3 months. The trees which broke down and farmers and labors whose life was based on that almost thinking that they’ve lost their life because restoration of trees and farms will take years to get back to normal stage.

Team

Many youngsters, elders and people from the affected areas immediately got into action to initiate the relief measures.  Farmers and labors who provided us food, directly or indirectly by farming and agriculture, dragged into the middle of the roads with their hands extended for seeking help by the people who pass by for food, water and other necessary materials almost saddened the people of unaffected areas.

So my Friend Yogeshwara Balaji, Prabhakaran and his team were the first group in my friends circle to go out and help them in the field by collecting funds through their friends, relatives and other contacts. This acted as a motivation for others in his contacts including my team to help the affected. 

So my group of friends and I got into action and started collecting funds. People who really believed in us, helped us a lot by donating funds for a good cause. My friends who were a step ahead, almost designed a website to collect data not only for us to go and help, but also for the other volunteer groups to get to know what people required in the affected areas.

distribution scenes

The driving force for us was the thought that “farmers who provided us food are starving for food and water”. To see poor village people crying in front of the whole world through media was really disturbing. Thus, we decided to help out the people who were stranded in the affected areas.

Add caption

Also when Chennai floated in floods of rain and lakes and Kerala was totally flooding in the rain, people from all over the world came running to help out them. Kerala and Chennai was able to grab the world’s attention easily, but when Delta got affected by this monstrous Gaja it took at least a week for others to turn towards Delta to help us out. I’m not complaining or crying out of jealousy, but sharing here the bit of truth. After a week people from the nearby districts were immediately helping us and after 2 weeks it grabbed attention from all the districts, political parties and also from the governing authorities.  

Second round

My friends and I went to 5 or 6 villages nearby Thiruthuraipoondi with the help of a local person, whose contact we got through the website which my friends designed. There were nearly 250 – 500 people in each villages and there were around 6 camps in each area. We have distributed some kilograms of rice, water bottles and packets, coils, tarpaulin sheets, milk powders and sanitary napkins.

Distribution in village of Kodiyakkarai

I along with Karthi Anna’s team went to some villages in Kodiyakkarai near Vedaranyam. Point calimere birds and animal sanctuary was totally destroyed just because of the cyclone. There are 1000s of families whose livelihood was based on the sanctuary, fishing, and salterns. They are now left with the option just to wait till these things get back to normal.

Our first stop

This post is not to boast our service to the people, but to motivate more volunteers to get into such wonderful actions. This process of collecting funds and seeking help from the people who are known to me helped me a lot to differentiate people, who would help and who wouldn’t.

Further distribution of rice in loose for individual families

Special thanks to those people who from other districts and also other states contributed for this good cause. Mentioning their names is just to appreciate them and also to let them know how helpful they were. The names as follows:

• Priyanka Ma’am
• Neha Ma’am
• Anurag Bhaiya
• Aarushi didi
• Bhargavi Akka
• Kiran Anna and Vinitha Manni
• Abhishek Jayaram
• Vinoj bro
• Senthil Prakash sir
• Venkatesh uncle and Radhika aunty
• Ramya Shree akka
• Ramesh Anna
• Venkat Anna
• Gopal anna
• Anusha Akka
• Vijay Krishnan Anna
• Sridharan Uncle
• Ramesh Uncle
• Zaid
• Pulkit
• Amit
• Supriya
• Sohit
• Gopalakrishna Bhattachariyar

They are all the wonderful people out there who helped me by donating funds immediately.

Also to thank my team members, who worked tirelessly, without sleeping on the previous night 

• Hari Balan
• Raja Guru
• Nithyashree
• Manoj Raj
• Shenbaga Lakshmi
• Venkat
• Guruprasath
• Bala
• Abinesh
• Surya
• Saravana
• Sivaguru
• Buruhanudin and various friends

I should thank Krishna Kumar and his dad and Thilakesh and his uncle; for making our purchase of the relief materials easy.

There were few more wonderful people who were a great support to this effort of us. They are our parents who guided us in the right path for this relief measure works. They were the ones who told us to what to do and not to do in this good work.

However our part in this relief measures is a small contribution. There were 100s of volunteering groups out there helping the needy. Cheers to all of them!!!

This post is ideally to express our sincere thanks and also a guide to those who wants to help in such time in future.

Returning after tireless work of distribution

With this post I along with my team, ensure that we will be continuing this kind of good works and also would be happy to welcome and encourage many donors and contributors for such needful help.

Yours East Gaterr