Like the whole country, Kashmir is also facing the corona epidemic. Public life has been disrupted here due to the lockdown. Some kind-hearted people and social service organizations have come forward to help Kashmir, which is suffering from a shortage of food to medicines. To help the needy, these people are measuring the path of miles and reaching their homes.
Haj House made a hospital
There are many areas of Kashmir from where it is not possible to reach the shops of medicines and ration during this lockdown. In such a situation, many NGOs and local people have come forward with the help of these needy to spread a smile on their faces instead of despair. Kashmir’s largest non-government NGO Athrot has made a 100-bed COVID Help Center with the help of Srinagar administration here. He has converted the Haj House Building in Srinagar into a COVID Center with a capacity of more than 100. Bashir Nadvi, chairman of Athrot Kashmir, says that there are 28 high flow oxygen beds here which give 15 to 20 liters of oxygen per minute. At the same time, there are 75 beds, where 5 to 10 liters of oxygen is released per minute. This NGO has also come forward to help people in flood, earthquake or any other kind of disaster.
Deliver oxygen to homes
Distribute masks
A local NGO from here works in the border areas like Saya-Shadow of Hope Uri and distributes N95 masks to the needy people. This institution also distributes masks to hospitals, policemen and frontline workers.
Feed the needy
Rais Ahmed Dar and his wife Nida Rahman, a young couple from Srinagar, have started a campaign called ‘Food for Kashmir’ under which they cater to the food needs of the needy during the Corona period. These couples take their home-made food to the homes of Corona-infected families, doctors and other workers working during the Corona period.
Dar told Businesslend that we get calls from many people whose entire family is in the grip of Corona and they are unable to cook food. We deliver food to the homes of such people. We do not charge food for those Corona patients who are unable to pay. The couple started a free home delivery service called ‘Tiffin Aava’ at the beginning of the Corona epidemic last year. Dar says that these days we are delivering food to 400 people every day. This number may increase in the coming time, we are also ready for this and we are also able to feed 1000 to 1500 people. Apart from this, Dar told that while making home delivery, his team also takes full care of the safety rules.
Sikh community is also ahead here
The people of Sikh community have been filling the stomach of the needy through their langar service all over the country. They are not far behind in the valley and here too they are feeding food to the Corona infected. Jagjit Singh, Coordinator of COVID 19 Sikh Volunteer Group, says that he is providing nutritious meals to Corona patients at lunch and dinner every day. Apart from this, this institution is also providing the help of oxygen cylinders and medicines according to the need. Pardeep Singh Dardi, founder of J&K Sikh Volunteer, has started a different type of service. As everyone knows, to avoid corona, vaccine is required and registration has to be done first. 100 rupees are taken for this registration in an internet cafe, but Pardeep Singh’s organization is registering people with a single phone call. This service is free.
Ration is being delivered to homes
The first and largest online grocery store in Kashmir these days is busy helping the families of the valley. So far they have delivered more than 300 ration kits to the poor and needy people. Apart from this, they have given 250 ration kits to local NGOs, which these organizations can reach to the frontline workers.