Margis provide succour

Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Sept. 10: Seventy trained volunteers and six monks of the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT), have been undertaking relief operation in the flood-affected blocks of Kendrapara, Garadapur, Marshaghai and Mahakalpara in Kendarapara district from 2 September, said Acharya Gopimohan Brahmachari, central coordinator of AMURT.

They distributed relief materials such as biscuits, candles, water pouches, matchbox, ORS-powder and other essential items to 2,000 affected families in the worst-affected villages covering six grama panchayats of Kendrapara, Marshaghi, Garadpur and Mahakalpada blocks.

In the second phase, cooked food like rice will be provided to 4,000 needy people for two days at seven different places. As the flood water recedes, the volunteers of AMURT have started purifying the drinking water sources such as wells, tube wells and the surrounding of sub-merged houses with bleaching powder, phenyls and other disinfectants in the affected villages.

Another local organisation, the Kendrapara Zilla Vikash Parishad, has also reached out to the affected people distributing relief materials.

The Parishad leaders regretted that initially, the district administration had failed to provide adequate boats to people and organisations which were out there with relief material.

They also said scarcity of polythene had caused immense hardship to the flood-affected people, particularly the women and children.
Having lost their houses, these people were living in open sky with their children, Parishad members said.