Even as the state government sputters into action to provide food to the hungry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, civil societies in Lucknow has started to make provisions and cooked meals available.
The distribution started on March 25, and a day later 300 families had been reached.
“We have mapped about 12,000 families in 80 bastis of Lucknow who are most in need. We have no resources for now and the contribution is entirely voluntary,” said Sandeep Khare, social activist and secretary of the Vigyaan Foundation which is among the organisations that have taken a lead in the initiative.
The reach-out was made possible by a diligent mapping of volunteers and families in need. Thus, volunteers working with various organisations were asked to first identify community level volunteers in their neighbourhoods. These in turn helped list the most vulnerable families- such as those of rag pickers, daily wagers, rickshaw pullers, those stranded at bus stops and railway stations, and household workers in their immediate vicinity. A volunteer need-match was made and a picking up of rations from those willing to donate was started. Some donors provided cooked meals too.
The amount of provisions to be put in a packet has been specified such that it lasts an average family for about a week. Thus, one packet contains five kilograms each of wheat and rice, one kilogram each of salt, sugar, arhar and chana daal and refined oil, 100 gram each of turmeric and chilli powder and a packet of milk.
As the administration is still in the process of making lockdown passes for vehicles available, much of this distribution is being done on foot and in the morning hours by the 100 volunteers identified thus far.
Coordination is made possible over social media and emergency messages sent out for those in critical situations. “We have been getting calls from Chhattisgarh and Delhi to help though we are limited to Lucknow. This is a measure of the size of the calamity”, Khare told THE WEEK.
As food supply chains remain interrupted, getting provisions is a challenge. There are many citizens who upon coming to know of the initiative expressed a desire to donate money, but there is no bank account to take such contributions into. “We are looking at some CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) backing to get funds for the work,” Khare said. For now, monetary contributions are limited to sending them to provision shop owners through e payment gateways so that supplies can be made available to volunteers. All contributions are made part of social media groups to maintain transparency.
As no help is deemed too insignificant, the organisations are also making an appeal to those who want to help but have limited provisions, to mark a collection point in their neighbourhoods from which the listed volunteers can pick up food.
Thecoming together of organisations with differing specialities has helped consolidate the larger fight against COVID-19.
Farrukh Rehman Khan, Regional Manager, WaterAid India which is also part of the effort said that the organisation had been digitally and through community volunteers disseminating information about hand hygiene. “We are also working with Water Works Lucknow to disseminate information about the contact numbers of the control room and zonal engineers in case there is breakdown in water supply as this is critical to maintain hygiene. Where there is no piped water supply, handpumps are the major source of water and Panchayat and Jal Nigam are responsible for ensuring restoration in case of breakdown or provide water through tankers for immediate relief”, he said.
While the government gets its act together, these measures of relief will provide some succor against a pandemic of uncertain proportions
