| Flood Relief | Fire Relief | Cyclone Relief | Summer Relief | Gangasagar Mela Relief | Winter Relief | Economic Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation | Distress Relief |
The Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission have been rendering relief and rehabilitation services to the victims of natural and man made disasters for more than a century. This comprehensive annual report covers such services rendered by the Math and Mission in the financial year 2018-19. The total expenditure incurred for the relief activities during this period was nearly Rs. 46.09 crore (Indian Rupees 460 million).
FLOOD RELIEF
India:
Assam: In the wake of heavy rainfall leading to flooding of various parts of Karimganj district, Karimganj centre distributed 2050 kg rice, 420 kg dal (lentils), 1000 kg potatoes, 84 litres of edible oil, 425 kg salt, 84 kg milk powder, 840 packets of biscuits, 2430 packets of ORS and 1268 packets of halogen tablets among 405 flood-affected families from 17 to 22 June. In response to flooding of Cachar district, Silchar centre conducted a medical camp and provided free medicines to 722 patients in government shelter homes on 19 and 20 June.
Karnataka: In response to flooding of Kodagu district, Ponnampet centre distributed 9745 kg rice, 2954 kg flour, 2902 kg dal, 2810 kg vegetables, 1228 kg assorted spices, 573 kg salt, 1283 litres of edible oil, 592 kg milk powder, 453 kg tea leaves, 1192 kg sugar, 10,631 bakery products, 13,360 packaged food items, 9984 packets of fruit juice, 4440 litres of water, 7639 assorted garments, 800 assorted utensils, 36,141 assorted household items, 1146 pairs of footwear, 694 solar torches and 2062 stationery items among 2065 flood-affected families in Kodagu district of Karnataka from 16 August to 16 September. The centre has also undertaken various economic rehabilitation/training projects like bee-keeping, tailoring, food processing, etc. to help the affected people.
Kerala: In response to the severe flood situation in extensive areas of the state, our Coimbatore Math, Coimbatore Mission, Haripad, Kalady, Kayamkulam, Kochi, Koyilandy, Kozhikode, Pala, Thrissur and Tiruvalla centres conducted primary flood relief services by distributing 98,646 kg rice, 22,559 kg dal, 32,922 kg dry food materials, 4318 kg edible oil, 75,507 garments, 9785 utensil sets (each set containing a pressure cooker, 2 pots, 5 plates, 2 cups, 3 tumblers, 5 spoons and a ladle), over 11.15 lakh assorted educational materials along with other necessary items such as blankets, bedsheets, towels, mats, school bags, umbrellas, cattle-feed and solar lamps among 37,172 flood-affected families and more than 1.17 lakh students in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Wayanad districts from 10 August to 22 February.
Manipur: In response to heavy rainfall and resultant floods, Imphal centre distributed 10,950 kg rice, 2000 kg dal, 1081 litres of edible oil, 1100 kg salt and 1101 packets of other food items among 1070 flood-affected families in Imphal West district on 25 and 26 June.
Tripura: Kailashahar centre distributed 800 kg rice, 37 kg dal, 2550 kg chira (rice flakes), 330 kg sugar, 175 kg salt, 848 packets of biscuits, 213 kg milk powder, 2414 litres of drinking water, 1330 sets of utensils (each set containing a cooking pot with cover, a bucket, a mug, and a ladle), 3000 saris, 2000 dhotis, 576 bars of soap, 1727 notebooks and other necessary items among 2986 flood-affected families in Unakoti district from 14 June to 13 July.
Uttar Pradesh: After floods in Gonda and Faizabad districts, Lucknow centre distributed 1250 kg rice, 1250 kg flour, 500 kg dal, 1250 kg potato, 500 kg chira, 125 kg sugar, 250 kg salt, 902 saris, 860 lungis, 250 tarpaulins, 250 packets of candles, 530 mosquito-nets and 600 matchboxes among 1030 flood-affected families from 4 to 21 September.
West Bengal: In the wake of heavy rains and floods, Bankura centre distributed 550 kg rice, 210 kg dal, 500 kg chira, 196 kg gur (molasses), 200 packets of biscuits, 350 garments, 72 torches, 204 packets of matchboxes, 204 packets of candles, 80 bedsheets, 16 tarpaulins, 23 kg plastic sheets and 30,000 halogen tablets among 430 flood-affected families in Bankura district from 7 August to 29 September. In response to heavy rains, Jhargram centre served nearly 7600 plates of cooked food and distributed 439 kg food items, 2680 pieces of assorted snacks, 872 packets of biscuits, 126 litres of water, 400 saris, 200 dhotis, 50 lungis and 75 tarpaulins among 7300 flood-affected people in Jhargram town from 6 to 10 August.
Fiji: Heavy rains, caused by a tropical cyclone on 1 April, resulted in flooding of most of the low-lying areas in and around Nadi. In response to the calamity, Fiji centre distributed 2192 kg rice, 1990 kg flour, 1685 kg dal, 274 litres of cooking oil, 846 kg sugar, 548 kg salt, 55 kg tea leaves, 30 kg turmeric, 1989 packets of biscuits, 1750 assorted garments, 219 kg washing powder, 250 bars of bathing soap and 250 mosquito-coils among 663 flood-affected families from 2 to 19 April. Moreover, medical assistance was provided to about 250 patients.
Sri Lanka: In response to flooding of Visuvamadu village in Mullaitivu district, Colombo centre distributed 1000 kg rice, 440 kg dal, 385 kg noodles, 540 packets of biscuits, 480 kg milk powder, 1875 packets of malt powder, 330 kg sugar, 370 mats, 65 buckets, 65 mugs, 365 bedsheets, 1920 matchboxes, 1650 packets of tooth powder and 800 notebooks among 194 flood-affected families on 29 and 30 December.
FIRE RELIEF
Arunachal Pradesh: In response to 3 accidental fires in West Siang district, Aalo centre distributed 155 blankets, 615 garments, 43 sets of utensils (each set containing a karahi, a pot, a kettle, a bucket, 4 plates, 4 bowls, a ladle, a jug, a tumbler and a mug) and stationaries (notebooks, pen, pencils, etc.) among 44 affected families. Narottam Nagar centre distributed 14 blankets, 14 sweatshirts, 7 shirts and 14 trousers among 6 families whose shops got completely burned down in a fire accident in Tirap district on 6 January.
Assam: In response to a fire accident, Dibrugarh centre gave 11 saris and 8 dhotis to a family on 15 November. On 29 July, Guwahati centre distributed 11 mattresses, 11 bed-sheets, 11 mosquito-nets and 22 pillows among 5 families affected by accidental fire. In the wake of a fire accident, Silchar centre distributed 22 saris, 25 dhotis, 22 shirts, 22 trousers, 11 salwar-kameez (ladies’ garments), 20 mosquito-nets, 12 kg milk powder, 44 packets of biscuits and 14 stoves among 14 families on 23 May.
Meghalaya: Following a fire accident in Shillong city on 12 January, 5 houses got completely burned down. Shillong centre distributed 125 kg rice, 27 sweaters, 11 jackets, 18 shirts, 15 trousers, 19 tops, 16 sets of salwar-kameez and 54 blankets among the 5 affected families in on 16 January.
Odisha: After a fire accident destroyed 14 huts in Bhadrak district, Kothar centre distributed 200 kg rice, 50 kg dal, 150 kg potatoes, 50 kg onions, 11 kg edible oil, 84 litres of kerosene oil, 102 packets of biscuits, 56 matchboxes, 14 sets of utensils (each set containing a karahi, a handi, a ladle, a spoon, a mug, and a bucket), 14 lungis, 14 saris, 14 other ladies’ garments, 14 mosquito-nets, 14 torches and 14 mats among the 14 affected families from 16 to 21 January.
Tamil Nadu: On 16 September, Chengalpattu centre handed over 21 garments and 3 cooking pots to a family in Kanchipuram district who were affected in a fire incident. In the wake of a devastating fire accident in a hamlet of Tiruvarur district, in which 43 houses were completely gutted, Chennai Math distributed 43 relief kits (each kit containing 23 kg assorted dry food materials, 50 assorted utensils, 1 bed-sheet, 2 pillows, 2 mats and 14 sanitary items) to the affected families on 18 July.
West Bengal: Responding to a fire accident in Siliguri, in which 4 houses were gutted, Darjeeling centre distributed 4 beds, 4 mattresses, 8 bed-sheets, 10 pillows, 11 pillow covers, 4 mosquito-nets, 4 ceiling fans, 4 kerosene stoves and 4 sets of utensils (each set containing a pot, a karahi, 4 plates, 4 glasses, a ladle, 4 bowls, 4 spoons, a pressure cooker, 2 cooking vessels and 7 other items) among 4 affected families. In response to a fire accident at a slum in Kolkata, Kankurgachhi centre distributed 17 karahis, 17 handis, 34 ladles, 17 buckets, 17 mugs, 17 jugs, 52 plates, 52 bowls and 52 tumblers among 17 affected families on 26 December. On 16th March, a fire gutted 25 shanties at Dakshineswar, Kolkata. Saradapitha centre distributed 50 saris, 50 tarpaulins and 6 kg biscuits to 50 families from 18 to 20 March.
CYCLONE RELIEF
Andhra Pradesh: In the wake of severe cyclonic storm ‘Titli’, Visakhapatnam centre distributed 1650 blankets among 1650 families in Srikakulam district from 25 October to 6 February.
Odisha: Similarly, Bhubaneswar centre distributed 500 blankets, 4700 clothes, 500 mosquito-nets and 1500 packet of biscuits among 800 families, who were affected by the cyclone ‘Titli’ in Gajapati district from 12 October to 3 November.
Tamil Nadu: In the aftermath of the devastating cyclone ‘Gaja’, Chennai Math, Chennai Mission Ashrama, Chennai Students’ Home, Kanchipuram and Madurai centres served more than 62,000 plates of cooked food and distributed 24,200 kg rice, 600 kg flour, 3880 kg dal, 100 kg semolina, 2280 litres of edible oil, 588 kg assorted spices, 526 kg tea leaves, 1034 kg milk powder, 3580 kg sugar, 480 kg salt, 480 kg tamarind, 4150 packets of biscuits, 224 cooking vessels, 2780 saris, 2670 lungis, 1472 assorted garments, 1525 bedsheets, 1018 mats, 5232 mosquito-coils and 735 emergency lights among more than 2752 families in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and Thanjavur districts from 18 November to 26 January.
West Bengal: Ramharipur centre distributed, from 9 to 25 June, 464 asbestos sheets, 330 batams, 391 chalkaths and 137 matkas among 55 families of 14 villages in Bankura district whose houses had been damaged by a cyclone.
SUMMER RELIEF
Puri Mission Ashrama served about 3000 litres of lemonade from 1 April to 31 May. Chennai Mission Ashrama and Salem centres distributed 21,700 litres and 3560 litres of buttermilk respectively from 1 to 31 May. Hyderabad centre distributed 50,455 litres of buttermilk and 1.34 lakh litres of drinking water to thirsty wayfarers in Hyderabad city and Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar districts from 31 March to 7 June.
GANGASAGAR MELA RELIEF
West Bengal: As in previous years this year also, Seva Pratishthan centre organized a round-the-clock medical relief camp during Makar Sankranti Mela at Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas district from 10 to 16 January 2019. In all, 9025 patients were treated, out of which 35 received indoor medical-care. Besides, 180 blankets were distributed among the poor pilgrims and monks. Moreover, the Headquarters distributed 400 blankets to the monks and mendicants of the Makar Sankranti Mela who visited Belur Math on their way to Gangasagar.
WINTER RELIEF
In 2018-19, a total of 58,480 blankets and 1,53,176 winter garments were distributed through 107 branch centres in India and 8 branch centres in Bangladesh among the poor people affected by severe cold.
ECONOMIC REHABILITATION
India: The following centres distributed essential goods among needy people:
Antpur: 81 sets of weaving accessories, 25 sewing machines and 17 rickshaw vans;
Chandipur: 12 sewing machines;
Chengalpattu: 1 sewing machine;
Guwahati: 11 tantsal and 22 sewing machines;
The Headquarters: 1 e-rickshaw;
Khetri: 105 sewing machines;
Rahara: 6 sewing machines, 6 cycle rickshaws, 4 rickshaw vans, 6 tricycles, 2 wheelchairs;
Taki: 12 cycle-rickshaws, 114 fishing-nets and 1 fishing boat.
Bangladesh: Comilla: a sewing machine.
Zambia: Lusaka: 4 sewing machines
REHABILITATION
Andhra Pradesh: In the wake of severe cyclonic storm ‘Titli’, Visakhapatnam centre distributed various boat-repair materials among 750 families in Srikakulam district from 25 October to 6 February.
Gujarat: Vadodara centre desilted 10 wells in Dahod district, from 15 April to 30 May, in order to provide drinking water facility to the tribal community living there.
Kerala: Kochi centre has undertaken rehabilitation work by constructing 8 anganwadis (rural childcare centre) in Alappuzha district. Construction work is underway. Koyilandy centre distributed various construction materials, under ‘Build Your Own House’ scheme, to a poor family in Kozhikode district from 1 October to 15 December.
Tamil Nadu: In the wake of Cyclone ‘Gaja’, Chennai Math distributed 1000 tarpaulins among an equal number of families in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Thiruvarur districts on 30 December, Chennai Students’ Home centre distributed diesel engine spare parts among 123 families in Nagapattinam district from 22 December to 26 January and Kanchipuram centre distributed 169 asbestos sheets and 1200 palm-leaves mats among 13 families in Thanjavur district on 12 January.
West Bengal: Mekhliganj centre helped an old widow living nearby by providing various building materials to build her house. The construction was completed on 24 May. In response to a fire incident at Kamarda village in Purba Medinipur district in which a house was destroyed, Contai centre distributed 22 asbestos sheets, 30 bamboo poles and 12 wooden pillars and other constructions items to the family from 1 to 12 March.
DISTRESS RELIEF
In the year 2018-19, 107 of our branch centres (101 branch centres in India, 5 branch centres in Bangladesh and 1 in Zambia) distributed the following items to poor and needy people in their respective areas:
600 plates of cooked food, 2,72,303 shirts/T-shirts, 1,74,374 trousers, 31,572 saris, 6086 dhotis, 358 lungis, 2227 chaddars, 187 assorted garments, 1744 children’s garments, 1268 school uniforms, 25 school bags, 1803 pairs of socks, 1603 pairs of footwear, 573 bedsheets, 2163 mosquito-nets, 45 towels, 3380 kg flour, 5104 kg rice, 869 kg dal, 12 kg chira, 3 kg muri (puffed rice), 1457 kg edible oil, 760 kg salt, 1199 kg sugar, 73 kg assorted spices, 750 kg semolina, 140 coconuts, 105 kg baby food, 371 packets of biscuits, 75 kg tea leaves, 200 packets of health drink, 152 kg milk powder, 107 packets of cake, 47 packets of fruit juice, 2 lakh halogen tablets, 27 mats, 10 pillows, 333 plastic sheets, 65 tarpaulins, 4390 bars of bathing soap, 47 toothbrushes, 47 tubes of toothpaste, 1962 bottles of hair oil, 47 jars of cream, 235 pouches of shampoo, 660 bars of washing soap, 445 packets of washing powder, 602 umbrellas, 310 pots, 20 plates, 20 tumblers, 20 bowls, 20 spoons, 10 jugs, 10 mugs, 10 buckets, 31,689 notebooks, 47 drawing books, 15,303 pens, 4654 pencils, 667 erasers, 90 pencil-sharpeners, 750 geometry boxes, 12 hearing aids, 1 folding stick for blind, 1 walking stick, etc.
