Around the beginning of October 2009, when all schools had closed for Dasara holidays and people across India were celebrating the festive season, Karnataka experienced one of its greatest tragedies. Retreating South-West monsoons brought heavy rain, resulting in the worst floods in over a 100 years [1]. More than half a million people were displaced, and scores lost their lives in the ensuing tragedy [2].

As authorities fought to control the situation, a request for assistance was made to Akshaya Patra by the District Zilla Panchayat of the region. We were asked to help in any way we could and provide relief for the thousands whose homes had been destroyed overnight.

“We immediately responded the best way we knew how: by preparing fulfilling, healthy food for people in need. The Bellary kitchen ran for 24 hours during the most crucial period, with kitchen staff doing double and triple shifts. Some of the employees, who had gone home for the holidays, came back to help. The Zilla Panchayat sent their own staff to assist in the packing of food. Buses full of food were taken everyday to the Jindal Aerodrome, packed into helicopters and dropped into the affected areas “,said Yudhishtira Dasa, the kitchen head of Bellary.

“We were able to meet the demand immediately. Our kitchen is ready to cater to any situation,” added Yudhishtira Dasa.

For nearly four days we worked to provide relief for thousands of flood victims. In some places such as Siriguppa, we supplied food for 15 days. By the end of that period, the Bellary kitchen, with its maximum capacity to serve 50 000, had prepared hundreds of thousands of meals.

When disaster struck and help was needed, the people of India, its Government and The Akshaya Patra Foundation, worked hand in hand on a massive scale effort to provide relief for those in need.

[1],[2] www.indianredcross.org/EMERGENCY_DOMESTIC_APPEAL_FLOODS_09-final.doc

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