A Hand extended in time of Crisis
In August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and 140 are missing. About a million people were evacuated, mainly from Chengannur, Pandanad, Edanad, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayiroor, Ranni, Pandalam, Kuttanad, Malappuram, Aluva, Chalakudy, Thrissur, Thiruvalla, Eraviperoor, Vallamkulam, North Paravur, Chellanam, Vypin Island and Palakkad. All 14 districts of the state were placed on red alert. According to the Kerala government, one-sixth of the total population of Kerala had been directly affected by the floods and related incidents. The Indian government had declared it a Level 3 Calamity, or “calamity of a severe nature”. It is the worst flood in Kerala after the great flood of 99 that took place in 1924
Sarjapura Malayali Samajam cancelling its Anniversary and Onam celebration, stepped into the relief and rescue operations. Samajam’s volunteers directly involved in rescue operations during the flood, also co-ordinated from Bangalore with help lines and raised 20 Tons of relief materials.
Samajam volunteers escorted the relief material loaded containers to the flood affected areas and handed over the materials directly to the hands of beneficiaries thus avoiding any middlemen.