Photo courtesy of The News Minute
Pathanamthitta: A group of 13 migrant workers based in Pathanamthitta donated a day’s salary to support the survivors of the landslide in Wayanad, The News Minute reported.
Husain Ali and Indeswr Sonowal, workers engaged in fish stalls here, collected and donated the money to the Chief Minister Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
More than 400 people died and 150 are still missing after a huge chunk of a hill washed down on settlements in Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Meppadi panchayat on July 30.
Just as people are joining hands to support the devastated families, Husain Ali, Indeswr Sonowal and the other migrant workers are from Assam couldn’t wait to help.
Husain Ali and Indeswr Sonowal, who have been in Kerala for the past 10 years, felt it was their responsibility because whatever they had was given by the people of Kerala, according to the report.
“It is so difficult to watch the channels. We felt very sad after knowing what was happening in Wayanad. So we discussed it among ourselves and decided to give our one-day salary,” TNM quoted Indeswr Sonowal as saying.
“We decided to give what we can afford now. We believe that, even if it’s a small contribution, it will help to buy something for the people who lost everything. So we asked our manager how to help and what to do. He told us about the CMDR fund and we decided to contribute to the relief fund,” Indeswr added.
The owner of the fish stall Rajeev accompanied them to the District Collector’s office to donate the money.
Rajeev said that Ali and Sonowal, who had been watching the news channels about situation in Wayanad, asked him how to help the people, saying: ‘Shouldn’t we stand by the land that provides us bread in time of a disaster.’
Rajeev added that ‘I informed them about the chief minister’s relief fund and they were immediately ready to give their one-day salary.’
Meanwhile, reports say that around 9,328 displaced persons have been housed in 91 relief camps opened in the district.