Haryana farm unions come together to collect relief material for Punjab

Extending a helping hand to flood-hit Punjab, farmer unions and social and religious organisations have called upon people to come forward and help the neighbouring state with food, medicines, fodder, diesel and money.

The organisations have been collecting relief material at different locations and sending the material to affected areas.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) spokesman Rakesh Bains said, “The people of Punjab have been facing a tough time and it is our duty to provide whatever relief we can. The union has appealed to the farmers and formed district-level committees to collect the relief material and send them to affected areas. Two days — Friday and Monday — have been fixed to collect relief material.”

Krishan Kumar, Kurukshetra district chief of the union, said the union was focusing on the collection of dry fodder, animal feed, wheat, pulses, diesel, sugar, oil and medicines. He said, “People have been requested to hand over the material at local gurdwaras and temples. The union will collect them for further distribution. In view of the poor weather conditions, covered canters are being arranged so that the relief material is not damaged,” he added.

BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) spokesman Tejveer Singh said, “The union members have been collecting relief material in Ambala. Village-wise duties are being assigned so that adequate relief material could be supplied in the coming weeks, as it may take more than a month for the affected families to overcome the current situation. Relief material has also been collected at a madrasa in Naraingarh, where kits containing food items have been prepared for the affected families.”

Similarly, Prince Waraich, spokesman of BKU (Pehowa), said, “We will ensure that the relief material is sent regularly. Even after the water is drained out, the affected areas will face various issues in the form of contamination and diseases.”

Social organisations at Ladwa, Umri and Pehowa have also come forward for the relief operation. A group of people from Halalpur village of Ladwa left for Gurdaspur with nearly 100 quintal dry fodder. Volunteers of Helping Hands Shahabad also left with relief material for Punjab. Pardeep Kukreja from Helping Hands said, “We have loaded a tractor-trailer with fodder, and another one with relief material, including food items, medicines, water, and sanitary pads.”

Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda said, “The committee has decided to provide diesel worth Rs 11 lakh to the affected famers and also help them in getting adequate stock of fertilisers so that they don’t face any issue in the sowing of next crop. Dry fodder is also being arranged.”