On the information provided by DIG Udhampur, Sh. Sujit Kumar ji, HKFFL volunteers again got ready to help the needy. HKFFL Udhampur team made groceries kit containing Aata, Rice, Oil, Salt, Potatoes and Pulses.

With the help of Police authorities we distributed kits both in Udhampur and Katra.

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Seeing the danger of COVID-19 India is facing, our Honorable Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi ji announced the world’s largest lockdown on 24^th March 2020, asking 1.3 billion Indians to stay home for 21 days to slow the spread of COVID-19.

But one of the most challenging task during this lockdown was to provide food to the poor, needy and daily wagers who are hand to mouth people. Although government is taking various measures to help these people, many NGO’s also came forward to help the government in the task of feeding the needy.

We at HKFFL Udhampur are also standing with the government in this fight against COVID-19 and hunger. Upon the information provided by Sh. Sujit Singh, DIG Udhampur we came to know about the sufferings of daily wagers, who were camped at Supply morh, Udhampur. Our team immediately started to arrange the Grocery kit for the workers. Although it was a bit difficult to get the grocery items amid lockdown, still we managed to arrange the same. We made a Kit containing Dal, Rice, Mustard oil, Potatoes, and Aata.

Taking full safety and hygiene precautions and with the help of Police officers, we distributed these Grocery kit to 40 Families.

HKFFL Udhampur is always ready to help the needy. But this time, keeping in mind the seriousness of the situation we are working under the guidelines of District Authorities.

Amid heavy rain falls on 6th we received a call from the Police department that a train Shakti express, which was on its way to Katra Vaishno Devi got stuck at Ramnagar due to mudslide. Hundreds of pilgrims were trapped in it with no water and food. They were seeking our help. Our HKFFL Team volunteers immediately tightened their belts and started for Ramnagar with ample supply of food, water, juice, milk, biscuits etc. We provided the trapped passengers with whole day meal. 

As the news was regularly coming of the flood victims, our volunteers decided to help the victims trapped in Kashmir valley by sending them food packets. We started preparing 5000 food packets of purees with pickle. It took our team of 45 volunteers whole day and whole night to make the package, which was next day air lifted by Indian Air Force to the valley.

Meanwhile another news came that many thousands of flood victims are approaching Udhampur Railway station, covering more than 80 to 100 Kms on foot, before getting any conveyance. They had not eaten since many days. Our chairman H.H. Nava Yogendra Swami ji Maharaj was abroad and he ordered us to help the victims day and night. Under the able direction of our Managing Trustee Kunti Devi Our team reached railway station, and we started distribution of puri, sabzi, pickle, bun, butter, juice and water to the flood victims. Everyday 10000 to 15000 victims were reaching Udhampur.

Rashid, a flood victim told HKFFL that “there was more than 20 foot water in the valley. I with my three friends remained trapped on terrace of 2nd floor for two days and when we saw that water is not going down we decided to take the risk. We jumped in the water and swam for three Kms and thus we reached Srinagar Air port. But the situation there was even more critical with many thousands of tourists and local persons waiting to be air lifted to safe places. We along with many others decided to walk. Unaware of the way we started to walk on railway line and on reaching Ramsu we got conveyance for Udhampur.”

Our HKFFL Team Volunteers served the flood victims day and night for 5 days till the highway opened and relief started reaching the valley by road. In 5 days we distributed more than 35,000 packets of food and 30,000 water bottles. We were happy seeing their smiling faces upon receiving food and water.  It worked as fuel that encouraged us to work with more and more enthusiasm.

Team started from Slathia chownk in the city and moved along mukherjee bazaar, gole market, main market, chabutra bazaar, and saila talab, taking 5 hour time.

Hare Krishna Food For Life (HKFFL) is committed to do various social activities from time to time like free boarding school and orphanage for poor children, marriages of poor girls, food for poor, disaster relief, free medical camps etc.

The chairperson of the trust H.H. Nava Yogendra swami ji maharaj said that it is the duty to every individual to help the victims of this natural disaster. DIG Garib das thanked Hare Krishna Food for life and maharaj ji for their help and support for the flood victims.

Amid heavy rain falls on 6th we received a call from the Police department that a train Shakti express, which was on its way to Katra Vaishno Devi got stuck at Ramnagar due to mudslide. Hundreds of pilgrims were trapped in it with no water and food. They were seeking our help. Our HKFFL Team volunteers immediately tightened their belts and started for Ramnagar with ample supply of food, water, juice, milk, biscuits etc. We provided the trapped passengers with whole day meal. 

As the news was regularly coming of the flood victims, our volunteers decided to help the victims trapped in Kashmir valley by sending them food packets. We started preparing 5000 food packets of purees with pickle. It took our team of 45 volunteers whole day and whole night to make the package, which was next day air lifted by Indian Air Force to the valley.

Meanwhile another news came that many thousands of flood victims are approaching Udhampur Railway station, covering more than 80 to 100 Kms on foot, before getting any conveyance. They had not eaten since many days. Our chairman H.H. Nava Yogendra Swami ji Maharaj was abroad and he ordered us to help the victims day and night. Under the able direction of our Managing Trustee Kunti Devi Our team reached railway station, and we started distribution of puri, sabzi, pickle, bun, butter, juice and water to the flood victims. Everyday 10000 to 15000 victims were reaching Udhampur.

Rashid, a flood victim told HKFFL that “there was more than 20 foot water in the valley. I with my three friends remained trapped on terrace of 2nd floor for two days and when we saw that water is not going down we decided to take the risk. We jumped in the water and swam for three Kms and thus we reached Srinagar Air port. But the situation there was even more critical with many thousands of tourists and local persons waiting to be air lifted to safe places. We along with many others decided to walk. Unaware of the way we started to walk on railway line and on reaching Ramsu we got conveyance for Udhampur.”

Our HKFFL Team Volunteers served the flood victims day and night for 5 days till the highway opened and relief started reaching the valley by road. In 5 days we distributed more than 35,000 packets of food and 30,000 water bottles. We were happy seeing their smiling faces upon receiving food and water.  It worked as fuel that encouraged us to work with more and more enthusiasm.

Moved by the incident H. H. Nava Yogendra Maharaj sent a 4 member team of local volunteers to check the conditions of local people at the affected area and the help they are receiving. Their reports were surprising. According to them the worst affected people are surviving on the leaves of trees. The so called relief distribution as propagated by the media is not more than a hoax. Of course everyone wants to help the victims but no one was getting the proper channel. So much money was sent for the relief work from all over the world but not even one percent was being used properly. In fact money is not the only thing but more important is that victims require adequate assistance.

On the call of H. H. Nava Yogendra Maharaj volunteers of HKFFL tightened their belts and collected the basic necessities of life, required to rehabilitate the survivals. A Package was made to be given to each family, containing 19 items (wheat flour, rice, pickle, refined oil, pulses, salt, spices, black channa, sattu, chipped rice, puffed rice, powdered milk, cooker, torch, candle, match box, blankets, t shirt and plates). Items worth Rupees 7 Lakhs for 450 families were collected. Team headed by the Managing trustee Kunti Devi and Sanjay Vyasa Das started early in the morning, packed in three trucks, unaware of the challenging mission. Passing through the damaged and land slided roads, which itself was showing the intensity of the devastation, we reached Tilwada. After passing the night in a hotel we started for Guptkashi. Although it was only 100 Kms far, it took us whole day because of damaged road. One of our Truck out of three remained struck in the Jaam for more than 20 hours because of Landslide. At Guptkashi there was no electricity since past one month. Our mobile phones discharged. We had some biscuits and rested for the night.

Next day onwards, for three days we started distributing relief to the nearby villages like Phata, Kalimath and others. Our volunteers went to some inaccessible villages and called local villagers from there to receive the aid. We were happy that the aid went to the persons in need of it.

Kunti devi said that we will try to collect more funds and help the widows by providing them with all basic necessities of life, and arrange for some fixed source of income for them. The team returned back succeeding in the mission, taking with them sweet and bitter memories of the incident, with the pledge to come back and help the victims as soon as more funds are arranged.

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Kunti Devi said “Our aim is to rehabilitate the local villagers. These persons have lost their lands, homes, relatives, and whatever little bit belongings they might be having.” She told us that we have planned to distribute relief to 400 families and to each family we will provide with:-

1. Wheat Flour
2. Rice
3. Pickle
4. Refined oil
5. Pulses
6. Salt
7. Spices
8. Black Channa
9. Sattoo
10. Chipped rice
11. Puffed rice
12. Powdered milk
13. Cooker
14. Torch
15. Candle
16. Matchbox
17. Blankets
18. T-shirt