Chennaiites drive to Odisha, use social media to aid Fani relief work

A team of 14 volunteers, including two girls, set out by road to help rescue animals. They reached Odisha on Monday and say that the destruction was more devastating than they imagined. “On Sunday night, while we were driving to Odisha, the storm was raging on the border. On our way, a sign on the Chennai-Kolkata highway read: Puri – 57 km. But 30 km down the lane, we began to see the destruction. The District Collector informed us that a whole line of forest had been wiped out because of the cyclone. It was home to many deer,” said a volunteer.

The team began work in the afternoon by coordinating with the district veterinarian. “We found stray cattle everywhere. None of the animals have means to water or food. All electricity lines are down and the city is struggling is get back on its feet,” read a post on social media by the disaster response team.

Many social media platforms have shown the way for others in the city to contribute to the flood relief. Robin Hood Army, a volunteer-based organisation that functions in Chennai among other cities, gets surplus food from restaurants to serve less fortunate people. They are supporting the #ricebucketchallenge to provide approximately 10,000 kg of raw rice to relief camps in Odisha. “About 900 shelters have been put up to serve over a million people, who have been evacuated from their homes. Through this initiative, we aim to provide basic amenities to the families affected in Cyclone Fani,” states the team.