How NGOs, Celebrities and Citizens Came Together to Rescue Hyderabad Flood Victims

Torrential downpour for the past few weeks in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has left many residents stranded in their houses.

Amidst narratives of poor civil infrastructure and hardships faced by residents, many stories of hope and courage are also coming up from Hyderabad. Hundreds of good Samaritans chose to come out of their homes, risk their safety, and help stranded victims as much as possible.

Source: Twitter

Individuals and NGOs came together –

Ashish Jain from the Jain Yuva Sangathan was one of the first among scores of citizens coming together to volunteer for the rescue operations. Since many people were not able to prepare food at their homes, he distributed 500 packets of food on the first day in areas like the slums in Mayuri Marg, Ambedkar Nagar Colony and Begumpet.

And once his phone number went viral on social media, people from all walks of life offered to join in. He coordinated with them and was able to provide 5,000 packets of food on Saturday. Ashish also coordinated with volunteer groups such as Nava Sevak, which is providing flood relief items in various parts of Hyderabad. On Sunday, a total of 100 volunteers had distributed 1,500 packets of biryani, biscuits and water by the afternoon. Ashish later distributed food packets to patients in Niloufer Hospital too.

An NGO called Help Hyderabad sent volunteers around the city to understand the needs of people in different areas. They identified 22 houses in Peerzadiguda and 500 houses in Sadat Nagar and Uppuguda that required urgent help. Relief material including medical aid and drinking water was sent to all these places.

Other netizens like digital marketing professional Amar R Kanchawallah took to Twitter to extend support.

Journalist Purnima Sriram Iyer fed 40 litres of milk and 80 packets of biscuits to stray dogs who are often ignored in perilous times like these.

Actors and celebrities joined in –

Popular actor Rana Daggubati announced on Twitter that the Rama Naidu studios will remain open for all those seeking shelter.

Together with various celebrities from the film fraternity, he distributed 4,300 food packets to those living in low-lying areas such as Secunderabad, Madhapur and Jawahar Nagar.

Actor Navdeep also took to social media to request for volunteers and essential supplies.

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Rana and Navdeep requested film stars and fans alike to send across bed sheets, clothes, footwear and other relief material to victims.

Indian Armed Forces and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to the rescue-

In order to rescue residents of Hyderabad who were wading in knee-deep water and living in houses built alongside overflowing drains, the Indian Army deployed 480 personnel. After a meeting with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the Army obtained radar maps to identify four critical areas. GHMC, Indian Army and Police force got together to rescue and rehabilitate 140 people across the city.

They also saved the lives of 40 students who were stuck in a school bus in Alwyn colony. Additionally, GHMC organised 29 medical camps to treat around 3,901 people.

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