GUWAHATI: Assam floods have remained a matter of concern ever since one can remember. While many individuals posted on social media to create awareness about the situation of Assam, a few others stepped forward to do their bit and help those affected by the disaster.
A family that originally hails from Guwahati and Shillong, now settled in Bengaluru has raised concerns about the grim situation of Assam due to the annual floods. In their bid to help the needy, the family initiated a crowdfunding program for the flood victims.
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The crowdfunding which began on July 17 collected more than 3 lakh rupees in a short span of time. Nawab Dilaweez Hasan and his sister Deenaz Raisinghani talking to G Plus said, “It is heart-wrenching to watch the videos and pictures of flood-affected areas in Assam. We thought about contributing some amount from our side but we were not sure whom to send. So we decided to start crowdfunding instead as it would help us collect a sizable amount which would make an impact.”
Raisinghani told G Plus, “After researching we started our crowdfunding via Ketto. The money that we will collect will go to an NGO named ‘Rapid Response’ who has been working extensively to provide relief to Assam flood victims since 2016.”
Rapid Response is a non-profit organization committed to providing emergency assistance and long term solutions to victims of disasters.
The family began campaigning on social media by sharing the donation link on their profiles. “Our crowdfunding campaign was extensively supported by our friends, extended family, and many others. Within 20 hours we raised 60 thousand rupees and looking at the momentum which was created we decided to carry on and extended our campaign. We received funds from Assamese and non-Assamese people from the US, UK, and Singapore which was very motivating," said Hasan's wife Nazmi Rafique Hasan.
“Instead of blaming the government for not taking proper measures and the media for not giving proper coverage to Assam the question that arises in our heads was what are we doing about it? Hence we came up with the initiative. We hope that this small effort from our end would be helpful for the ones in need,” he said.
The Assam flood has affected over 28 lakh people so far. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA)'s report, 2,634 villages under 74 revenue circles in 26 districts along with above 1.19 lakh hectares of cropland are submerged as on July 23.
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With continuous downpour, Brahmaputra River in Jorhat, Sonitpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri districts is still flowing above danger level mark. At present, above 47,000 people are taking shelter in 286 relief camps across the state.
Floods this year have caused damage to both property and life not just of humans but also wildlife. With 90 percent of the Kaziranga National Park submerged, 127 animal deaths have been reported from the National Park alone.