With hundreds of people dead and lakhs other homeless in Kerala due to floods, various Malayali and Keralite associations in Kolkata are collecting funds and reliefs materials for the flood victims in their state.
These association run by Keralite people residing in Kolkata have started a relief drive for the flood victims in their state.
"We have started collecting relief materials and funds. Hopefully we would be able to send them to Kerala by this week. The entire agricultural sector has been badly affected in the floods," said T K Gopalnan, Trustee, Kolkata Kairali Samajam.
"We have already identified the areas where relief materials would be sent. We are also in touch with some schools where the relief materials will be kept so that it can be distributed," he said.
An official of Kolkata Kairali Samajam said they along with other Malayali associations had a meeting with the officials of Kolkata police to chalk out a way to send relief materials to Kerala.
"The entire transportation system has gone for a toss. So we are trying to find a way to send the relief materials. We hope the airport would start functioning very soon," the official said.
Sunil Nambiar , secretary of Calcutta Malayalee Association, said steps are being taken to send essential items which are needed immediately once people start getting back to their homes from relief camps.
"Be it collecting funds or relief materials we are on the job. We have to start from zero in Kerala, everything has been destroyed. We are also in touch with fellow Keralites whose family members are stranded in Kerala and they are yet to communicate with them," Nambiar said.
Communicating with local police or district administration has also been initiated to get in touch with the stranded relatives, a member of a Keralite organisation, who works in a city hospital, said.
Thousands of nurses, both male and female, work in various private hospitals and nursing homes of Kolkata.
"Earlier we used to work in middle east. For the last few years we are working in Kolkata so that we can at least stay in our country and stay close to our family.
But due to these floods, we have been unable to contact our family members for last few days. We don't know whether they are dead or alive," said Namitha, a nurse working in a city hospital.
The flood in Kerala has claimed 216 lives so far while over 7.24 lakh displaced people have been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps dotting the state.
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