Vikasana Unites IIM-B for Kashmir

Kashmir has been hit by the worst floods in the last 100 years. The calamity in Jammu and Kasmir have left lakhs of people stranded. Official figures estimate that at least 203 people have died in the Jammu region while the waters have claimed the lives of 77 in the Kashmir Valley. More than 77000 people have been evacuated by the joint effort of the Indian Army and the Air Force. The loss to land and property is huge with an estimated loss of Rs 1000 Cr in apple orchard wastage, which supports the livelihood of the farmers there.

Vikasana, the social service club of IIM Bangalore initiated a clothes collection drive to help those in need. It partnered with Goonj, a partner NGO working towards providing relief material to those affected by floods in the region of Jammu and Kashmir and other states such as Orissa, West Bengal and Assam through its ‘Rahat Floods’ initiative. The clothes collection drive commenced with the setting up of collection boxes all around the IIM Bangalore campus. There were a total of 5 boxes at different locations spanning the hostel blocks and the faculty blocks. Material was also collected from the official residence of faculty members by Vikasana volunteers.

The week long initiative was met with an overwhelming response from the students and faculty of IIMB, who made sure that the boxes always filled up with clothes, sweaters, blankets and other warm material. The collected material was then sorted and deposited at Goonj’s regional centre for further processing. A total amount of 400kgs of relief material was collected in this drive.

We, on behalf of Vikasana, would like to thank Goonj for giving us the opportunity to serve the flood victims. We would also like to thank the students and the staff for their generosity and support in contributing towards the relief efforts. We sincerely hope that the material alleviates the conditions of those affected by this tragedy and pray for their well being.

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