In the aftermath of the Chennai floods, IIT Madras has stepped up to play its part in the relief efforts. NSS, IViL and various other student bodies are organizing collection and distribution drives to reach out to those in need. Read to find out more about their efforts, and how you can contribute in cash or kind to the institute’s flood relief team or the various other organizations accepting relief materials and donations.
On an ordinary day, it would be hard to find insti junta awake and active by 9 am. The past few days, however, have been different. The NSS office is buzzing with students and faculty discussing relief efforts, with collection and distribution drives in full swing. Just two days old, the collection drive within campus has generated two rooms full of stuff – ranging from medicines and water bottles to clothes and food items.
Sneha Reddy, a fifth-year DD student, who is coordinating the collection drive in the residential area says, “The magnitude of response has been tremendous. Even before we started the collection, faculty and staff initiated an internal collection drive that aided our efforts. We only visited about 50 homes – that’s not even mildly close to the total number. We’ll be visiting the rest of the residential area and the hostels today.”
It’s not just the institute community though. Outside donors are also supporting the flood relief team, placing trust in IIT Madras to efficiently organize the relief efforts. Just today morning, about 5000 water packets and a carton full of medicines arrived from anonymous external donors. Yashasvini R, a core group member of the relief team, says that, “With the credibility that the institute has, we hope to become a coordination centre for collection and delivery of relief items for people outside the campus as well.”
So far, none of the relief items have been paid for by the Flood Relief team. But this might change with donations pouring in from the institute’s Golden Jubilee fund. Arun Sudarsan, a HSS 2014 alumnus, contributed as much as 45,000 INR. “Chennai was my home for almost 6 years. I love the city. It’s been terrible sitting this far and not being able to contribute much. I made a donation just now, confident that I can trust my alma mater to use it judiciously and wisely for the relief operations in Chennai”, he said.
While the institute has briefly returned to somewhat of a normalcy, there are many areas in Chennai still reeling under the effects of the floods. Especially, parts in North Chennai which are still inaccessible because of the water levels. Mrinalini, another 5th year HS student working on the relief items inventory, said that “the focus of the institute’s relief measures is to reach out to these areas. Today, 108 cartons of clothes, 7 cartons of blankets and bedsheet, 200 water bottles and 1100 water packets have been sent to Anakaputhur in North Chennai.” The team hopes to reach out to more such areas in the next few days.
For anyone looking to contribute to relief efforts in kind, here is a list of things that are of utmost necessity. You could drop off relief material at the NSS office at IIT Campus(behind the post office) which will be kept open and manned from 9 AM onwards.
-Bread and related food like buns
–Saris, blankets and towels in specific
-Paracetamol and Paracetamol syrup for children
-Dettol/Savlon packets/small bottles
-Ors/electrol
-Antifungal like clotrimazole (1%) or nystatin powder
-Odomos
–Betadine ointment
-Cotton, gauze, some gloves
-Candles, matches
-Sanitary napkins, diapers
If you are currently outside Chennai, you could make a monetary donation via the institute’s Golden Jubilee fund. You need to mention flood relief in the space provided before completing the transaction. Payments are accepted via Debit/Credit cards as well as electronic bank transfer. All the funds would be used for flood relief activities and shall be liable for tax exemptions. After donating, please do send an email to [email protected] with your name, date of donation and amount to help them keep a track of the amount coming in.
Alternatively, money could also be electronically transferred to their account, details of which are given below.
Name of the Account Holder: IIT Madras Alumni Charitable Trust
Account Number: 014010100864381
Name of the Bank: AXIS BANK
Branch Name: T. Nagar
Branch ID: 014
Address: No. 113, G. N. Chetty Road, T. Nagar, Chennai – 600 017, Tamil Nadu, India
MICR ID: 600211003
IFSC Code: UTIB0000014
SWIFT Code: AXISINBB014
Relief efforts from outside the campus
We have also compiled a list of other organizations accepting donations for flood relief operations in Chennai. Among those leading the relief efforts both online and on the ground are actor Siddharth and RJ Balaji, who have been guiding a team of volunteers with food, water, clothing and blankets. The popular personalities’ efforts in driving around the city to help and coordinating relief work on social media have been applauded by residents who joined in with donations, using the hashtag #ChennaiMicroFund to contact the team. A trust has been opened to collect monetary contributions. Donations can be sent to:
A/c Name: V Trust,
A/C NO: 533102010503421, UNION BANK OF INDIA,
IFSC CODE: UBIN0553310.
SWIFT CODE- UBININBBICN
The other organizations that are lending a hand in the relief operations and are accepting donations include:
–AID India (Indian nationals residing in India or outside, will receive an 80G tax exemption certificate applicable in India.Non-Indian Nationals will be able to donate to the US and the 501(c)(3) tax exemption certificate will be provided which is applicable in the US)
–BHUMI: (Accepts donations in INR, USD, SGD, GBP as well as AED. Tax benefits under section 80G)
More information can be found here and here.
We continue to pray for Chennai and hope everything gets back to normalcy soon.
