At a time when Kerala is battling its worst floods ‘of the century’, people from across the country have come together to help rebuild the state. Parts of Karnataka too have been suffering under heavy rainfall, with people showing solidarity.
A big chunk of credit goes to social media that has weaved people across the country together and publicised inspiring tales to melt hearts in this crisis.
Here are some stories worth reading to restore our faith in humanity.
If you too wish to donate, here’s how you can help rebuild Kerala.
This Kodagu Town Turned Church, Temple & Madrasa into Rescue Camps
After days of heavy rains in Kerala, a little town in Kodagu district remained unaffected.
In Suntikoppa, located 14 km from Madikeri town, the buildings were intact, and supplies stored over days were now available in abundance. However, as distress calls from neighbouring villages poured in, the residents of the town decided to share their good fortune and convert their town into a rescue camp.
First, the residents gathered their private vehicles and rescued several people from adjacent villages. When the numbers increased, the villagers turned three largest buildings in their town into rescue camps – a hall adjacent to a Shiva temple, St Mary’s church and a local madrasa. Subsequently, food and medical aid was provided to the rescued.
Read the full story here.
Boy in Bengaluru Uses Google Maps to Connect With Grandma in Kerala
The night of 15 August was a frantic one for Bengaluru-based Rishikesh Ganga. The 30-year-old content strategist had been trying to reach his 77-year-old grandmother, who was alone in Chalakkara, 40 kilometres away from Thrissur in Kerala.
“She stays there alone and I wasn’t able to reach her on her mobile phone or her landline,” Rishikesh told The News Minute. His parents and sister who stayed in Thrissur had already evacuated their home and were staying in a hotel. They were not able to reach her or help either.
After numerous failed attempts, Rishikesh came up with a smart solution on 16 August to reach out to his grandmother.
I pulled up the Google map of the area and started calling up individual shop owners nearby. Luckily, I was able to contact a man called Benny, who worked at the nearby cable TV office.Rishikesh Ganga
Turns out, Benny stayed about 800 metres away from his grandmother’s home. He promised to call Rishikesh once he was able to reach her as it was still pouring at the time.
Read the full story here.
TN Girl Gives Savings for Kerala Relief, Promised Cycle
Anupriya, a young girl from Tamil Nadu's Vizhuppuram, has earned laurels for donating the entirety of her savings – Rs 9,000 – towards the Kerala flood relief fund. The girl had been saving for over four months to buy herself a bicycle.
However, gauging the havoc the incessant rains had wreaked upon the neighbouring state, she decided to donate her savings towards Kerala’s rehabilitation.
Appreciating Anupriya’s gesture, Hero Cycles has stepped forward to fulfill the young girl’s dream. The company tagged Pankaj M Mumjal, Chairman and Managing Director of Hero Motors Company, and promised they would give Anupriya a brand new cycle.
Read the full story here.
Navy Greeted With ‘Thanks’ Note on Kochi Rooftop for Kerala Rescue
The Navy was in for a pleasant surprise on the morning of Monday, 20 August, when it chanced upon a rooftop painted with a ‘Thanks’ note for their rescue efforts. A naval Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), piloted by Cdr Vijay Varma had rescued two women from the house in Kochi where the note was painted on 17 August.
The pictures of the rooftop were tweeted out by the official handle of the Indian Navy.
The Navy has been heaped with praises for its rescue efforts across the flood-hit state. On Sunday, 19 August, a chopper manned by the Indian Navy rescue team attempted a daring stunt when it landed on a narrow rooftop to rescue an 80-year-old woman.
Similarly, two days ago, the Navy rescue team airlifted a pregnant lady from her inundated home in Alapuzha, after her water broke. The woman gave birth to a boy, merely hours after the timely rescue.
Read the full story here.
Merchant from Madhya Pradesh Donates Blankets for Kerala Flood Relief
On 10 August, Vishnu Kachhawa, a blanket merchant from Madhya Pradesh, became an overnight star on social media after he donated his entire stock of blankets for the flood relief programme in Kerala.
As reported, Vishnu had initially planned to sell the stock which he bought from Haryana, but donated fifty blankets after seeing the devastation caused by the flood.
As reported by The Week, Vishnu who belongs from Madhya Pradesh, came to Kerala when he was 16. He lives he with his wife and two children in Kerala’s Kannur district. Speaking to The Week,
“Kannur is my second home. Kerala has given me everything, a place to stay, a livelihood to support my family and raise my children and really good climate. I am seeing Kerala in such agony for the first time. I cannot afford to watch people suffering and I gave them what I have.”
On 10 August, he visited the Kannur’s Iritty taluk office with a pile of 50 blankets and donated the stock to the deputy deputy tehsildar Lakshmanan.
“I thought he was joking. I asked him how he would earn his living if he donated his blankets. But Vishnu was adamant,” Lakshamanan told The Week. Vishnu’s actions were praised on social media.
Read the full story here.
‘Official Peeing Human’ Donates Revenue from YouTube For Kerala Flood Relief
YouTube channel, Official PeeingHuman on 20 August announced that it had donated its entire revenue collected from videos on YouTube for the Kerala flood relief.
The news that was shared on its Facebook page, said, “The only monetary benefit from Official PeeingHuman thus far has been my channel's Youtube monetisation. It made around $450 from inception to now which I had withdrawn last month and then demonetised the channel completely.”
“Today I donated all that money to help the people suffering in Kerala. So a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who added to the views and helped me make that sum of money which could be used to help those in urgent need”, it added.
Leaders of Various Parties Donates Salaries for Kerala Flood Relief
Political leaders of various parties have joined hands to restore tranquility in Kerala as the state faces massive loss of lives and properties.
On 20 August, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu held a meeting with Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh and other senior officials of Rajya Sabha on the Kerala floods and decided to donate one-month salary to the Kerala relief funds.
Similarly, on 18 August, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) head Arvind Kejriwal announced that all party ministers, MLAs and MPs will donate a month's salary for flood-hit Kerala state.
Shiv Sena too on Monday, 20 August announced that the party MPs and MLAs will contribute one-month salary to the Kerala Flood Relief fund.
For People In A Kerala Relief Camp, A Couple's Wedding Brings Cheer
A young couple taking shelter in a relief camp in Malappuram district got married on 19 August, bringing a juvial moment in the camp.
Anju, who had moved into the MSP School near Malappuram three days ago, tied the knot with Saiju at the Thiripunthra temple, watched by her relatives and others from the relief camp.
"Three fourths of our house is submerged in water. Initially we decided to postpone the marriage. But when we got the support of the people here, we decided to go ahead as planned," a relative of the bride told the media.
The temple trustee agreed to provide a sumptuous wedding meal. Media reports say similar marriages have taken place in Thirunavaya and Nilambur relief camps in Malappuram district.
Kerala Girl, Trolled for Selling Fish, Contributes to Flood Relief
Hanan Hamid, a Thrissur native from Kerala has garnered praise for her contribution of Rs 1.5 lakh for flood relief in the state, The News Minute reported. Hanan was reportedly trolled in August for selling fish in her uniform to fund her education, with many deeming this as a ‘publicity stunt,’ the TNM report added.
“I am merely giving back what I received from the people. Now they are all suffering and it is the least I can do,” Hanan told TNM.
The third year B.Sc Chemistry student at Al Azhar college in Thodupuzha received funds from well-wishers who reportedly extended assistance to her after being trolled.
Read the full story here.
This Guava Seller Donated All the Guavas That He Had For Kerala
At a time when Kerala is battling its worst flood ever, people from across the country have come together to help rebuild Kerala.
Redditors came across one such good Samaritan in Bangalore - a guava seller with five baskets of guavas. The boxes were going to earn him his daily wages.
However, when he saw that a collection drive was being organised around him, to help those affected by the floods, he decided to hand over his boxes as relief material to those stuck in the floods.
Read the full story here.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)