Kerala floods: Techies turn heroes

Kochi: The tech force from the Infopark has been working round the clock to mitigate the disaster caused by the floods by providing the victims foods and other relief materials. Within hours after the tragedy struck, the techies came together and made a common communication platform to help the rescue and relief operations in the district. The team of techies also reached the worse-hit areas like North Paravur and Aluva regions which were inaccessible for days.

The volunteers of the Progressive Techies, a welfare group at the Infopark formed 4 years ago, were supporting the rescue and relief operations carried out by the officials. “We started a help-cum-collection desk at the Infopark immediately after people started shifting to relief camps, where our coordinator verifies the calls rece-ived from different camps asking for relief materials. We had received calls from 80 camps in the district. We had also distributed relief materials to camps functioning in Chengannur, Alappuzha, and Idukki areas. In Chengannur itself, we were able to provide relief materials in two trucks,” said a volunteer with the Progressive Techies. Besides the food materials, clothes and other relief materials, the techie group also provides medical aids to the relief camps.

“Many organisations have provided medicines which the camp inmates were long awaiting, including insulin for diabetes patients. But these medicines will only be provided to doctors or to those who comes with doctor’s medical prescriptions,” another volunteer said.

A few of the team me-mbers were helping na-vy and fishermen in the rescue operations. “When we reached a part of the North Paravur area, where houses are fully submerged in flood water, we saw people with kids standing in the roof-top crying for their lives. When they saw us coming, a sign of huge relief reflected on their faces. That was a priceless moment,” a software engineer working in Infopark said.

“We are also planning to give a back-to-home kit to the refugees as many of them have to start their living from zero. The kit will include all the necessary materials including provisions. Before that, we are also planning to help them in cleaning their houses which are completely filled with huge amount of slush,” a member of the Progressive techies said.