Calamity

While most of us are lamenting about the terrible devastation wreaked by cyclone Hudhud, here are a bunch of volunteers who just came together one fine morning and started restoring order amid the chaos. See how their efforts transformed a stretch of damaged road.

Tejaswi Bhagavatula is from Vizag. Here he shares his first-hand account about the unimaginable destruction caused by cyclone Hudhud within a matter of hours, about a city struggling to come to terms with it, the stories of hope he sees around him, and the lessons he has learnt in a short time.

Nighat Shafi Pandit has always been there for the people of Kashmir. Her Hope Foundation has given shelter to hundreds of orphans and women. After the horrific flood in J&K, she is rebuilding everything her people have lost, brick by brick. Read her story of hope!

When all the forces including the army, government, social media and public are working together to help the victims of Jammu and Kashmir flood, considered to be the worst in 100 years, Guru ka Langar in Amritsar has created a record of sorts when food for 1,00,000 flood victims was airlifted to be distributed to them. Read to know more on how they achieved the amazing feat.

It has been three months since disaster struck Uttarakhand in June 2013, and the situation is still alarming. However, in Uttarakashi district where there has been widespread property destruction and loss of livelihood, the situation is worse, with not enough food supplies and no doctors to examine the sick. For a population of almost 3.5 lakh people in Uttarkashi, there is not one single woman doctor. The Mountaineering community is still reaching relief supplies such as medicines and food to the far-flung villages on foot as road connectivity is lost. Given this scenario, we here present two initiatives working towards rebuilding the lives of the locals.

In March-April 2013, Maharashtra suffered from what was probably the worst drought in 40 years. The people were once again at the receiving end of the wrath of Nature, as it took a heavy toll on the lives of the people on the parched lands. It also led to the formation of a youth organization dedicated to helping the victims and finding long-term solutions. This is what began as the Maharashtra Drought Relief Project, and is now called Yuva Foundation.

TBI writer Anusha Subramanian is currently in Uttarakhand, participating in the relief operations and assisting the locals in rebuilding their lives. She reports from the scene of the devastating floods on the current situation in the affected areas, on the aid provided by the administration, and the stupendous work being carried out by trekkers, mountaineers, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), army personnel and NGOs.

Yoginder Sikand was just settling in for some peace and quiet in a tiny hamlet of the deliriously scenic Spiti ecosphere, when he was hit by the recent snowstorm. Faced with the possibility of being stuck without food and warmth for weeks, he decided that he would try to get to a bigger town and seek help. But how was he to find his way, being completely foreign to those parts and terrains? Much to his wonder, a helping hand was always around!