Good Samaritans flood delta with essentials

Good Samaritans from different districts were arriving in worst hit villages with all kinds of help, even before government officials reached the areas.

Vehicles with loads of relief materials were seen on several routes leading to devastated pockets, especially interior villages. All it took was a post on Facebook and WhatsApp requesting people to contribute in cash or kind for the relief work in and around the districts. Even before the government relief materials came, youth from Tiruchy and Karur reached Pudukkottai with food and water.

Sathish Kumar, a volunteer said, “Initially, people wanted water and milk for the children and generator for power supply. We purchased materials with contributions from locals in our areas and proceeded to Pattukkottai.” However, soon after the landfall of Gaja, the local youth voluntarily gathered and removed the debris in their localities.

In many villages, the youth had cleared the roads by removing the huge trees and EB posts that were uprooted. “Without waiting for the workers deputed by the government, we started removing the EB posts and trees in Vaduvur, in Tiruvarur. After completing the operation, we rushed to neigbhouring villages. We cleared around 150 EB posts and more than 100 trees,” said S Malarmannan, a law graduate from Vaduvur.

Similarly, a group of youngsters from Keezhaiyur, Thalaignayiru and Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district had started their work before the government workers landed. Apart from this, youngsters from across the state started moving to the cyclone hit regions with food packets and other essential items. “We donated money, besides making collection from our friends employed abroad and bought commodities worth Rs 9 lakh and rushed to Pudukkottai villages,” said Shief Abdulla from Tiruchy. Meanwhile, a group of youth working in various organisation, including IT, came to Perugavazhnthan village in Tiruvarur on Monday and started restoration work at the Government Higher Secondary school and High School.