Worn out ‘charity’ hurt self respect of calamity hit residents of mountain hamlets in three districts — Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi. The affected residents refused to accept shabby and worn out clothes, asking the officials to take back the consignments of old clothes.
“Please don’t send used clothing in charity since instead of giving us relief, it hurts our self-respect,” said an official quoting a villager who reacted to bales of used clothes in the relief material. He politely asked the officer to send back the truck to Dehradun where the bales of old clothes are dumped in a big hall at Sports College where a temporary godown for relief material has been set up.
Quoting a villager from Rudraprayag district, the officer said, “We have already suffered deep wounds. Disaster may have snatched away everything from us, but we still have self respect. We will do with the few clothes left with us, but we will not accept used clothes. It is against our principle and self respect.”
Extremely angry villagers were not ready to accept the eatables in the truck. They received them only after much pleading. “Send fresh clothes, rice, pulses and blankets, if the organisations want to extend relief to us they should meet this need of the hour,” the villagers suggested, asking the officer to convey their message to those sending the bales of the old clothes.
The officials on duty to supply the relief material from godown at the sports college also have similar opinion. “Instead of namkeen, instant noodles, breads, water bottles, which have been sent to the godwon in large number by various states, there is need for blankets, rice, pulses, flour and tents,” he said.
Another official on duty at the godown didn’t accept the consignment of old clothing sent by an adjoining state. “It will cover up the space in the temporary godown where several bales of old clothing are already dumped with no takers for them,” he said, adding that truck was sent back with a note that shattered people were not interested in ‘given up’ clothing.
Transporting the relief material to disaster-hit areas is a challenging task due to lack of vehicles. Ensuring delivery to the needy people on time is another challenge. The officials now supply the material on the basis of demands being sent by the disaster affected districts. Special Area Development Authority secretary Chandra Singh Dharmshaktu, the nodal officer for ensuring supply of the relief material, said, “Relief material is being sent to the disaster affected districts speedily. Efforts are on to supply the material as soon as possible.”
He, however, denied making any comment over the old clothes sent as relief material by the adjoining states. Moreover, 25 trucks, including mini and utility vans, were sent to Ukhimath, Guptkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Bhatwadi and Dharchula on July 9.
On July 10, 11 trucks, including two to Ukhimath, one each to Rudraprayag and Guptkashi, three to Bageshwar, one each to Rudraprayag, Joshimath, Gopeshwar and Guptkashi, carried the relief material, including rice, pulses, biscuits, tea and blankets. The officials said that there was huge demand of rice, pulses and blankets in the disaster hit areas.