Villages, industries, communities drive Haryana’s relief mission

As the swollen Tangri, Markanda, Som, Ghaggar and Yamuna begin to recede, a quiet yet powerful relief movement is taking shape across Haryana. In districts less battered by floods, communities are mobilising to help their counterparts in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

From panchayats and religious groups to industries and individuals, people are pooling resources — food, essentials, money and more — to support those worst hit. Political parties, too, are flagging off convoys of relief material to the neighbouring states.

In Panipat, the Jamiat-i-Ulema-Hind turned Friday prayers into a relief campaign. “We had a meeting on September 2 to discuss the grim situation. It was decided that all collections made during Friday prayers would be given to the flood-affected. Announcements were made in all 32 mosques and madrassas. We tied up with our contacts in Pathankot, asked locals about their requirements and sent essentials, including bedsheets, tarpaulin sheets, diapers, toiletries and cash,” said Mufti Daud Kasmi, who accompanied three trucks to Pathankot. Five vehicles have already reached, with three more on the way.

From Jhajjar and Bahadurgarh, industrialists have pitched in with money and material. Parveen Garg, president of the Confederation of Bahadurgarh Industries, said, “More than 40 industrial units have collectively donated Rs 50 lakh to the District Red Cross Society. The funds have been used to procure and dispatch relief material.” Working with Gurudwara Prabandhak Committees in Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur, they have also sent groceries and daily-use items.

Bahadurgarh’s footwear hub joined in. “So far, 2,000 pairs of slippers and shoes have been dispatched. In total, we have collected 10,000 pairs to ensure no flood-affected individual is left barefoot,” said Subhash Jagga, general secretary of the Bahadurgarh Footwear Association.

From Nuh’s Firozpur Jhirka, efforts are also underway. “Different organisations of Mewat are collecting essentials and sending them to Punjab. We will next turn our attention to Himachal Pradesh and J&K, and start dispatches soon,” said Umar Padla, who is coordinating relief locally.

In Sirsa, the response has been community-led. “Punjabis are known to help any state in need. However, this time Punjab itself has got hit. Nearly 55 of 330 villages have already sent essentials, grains and funds. Others are in the process, and we will continue helping other states too,” said Lakhwingh Singh Aulakh of SKM (non-political).

While politicians are contributing a day to a month’s salary, it is the silent mobilisation in villages and towns that is turning into Haryana’s collective relief mission.