The recent floods and natural calamities in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and J&K have left behind widespread devastation. Many families have lost their homes, some have lost their loved ones, and thousands have been forced to migrate.
While governments are engaged in relief operations, once again the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has come forward with its selfless service, ensuring no family is left unattended in these testing times.
Relief work in Uttarakhand
In Chamoli district’s Tharali region, swayamsevaks have been actively providing timely relief to affected families. Essential materials such as food grains, clothes, and daily necessities are being distributed. Swayamsevaks are working round the clock, reaching remote areas to make sure no family suffers in isolation.
Similarly, in the villages of Rudraprayag district like Doongar, Badeth, and Chenagad, swayamsevaks immediately rushed to begin relief work after the disaster. Families are being provided with food, water, and other essential aid. Relief teams are constantly active in the area, helping those in need.
Service in remote Jammu Villages
In Kathua district’s Bagda village, located above Janglot, there is no motorable road. To reach this remote hamlet, swayamsevaks and Seva Bharati volunteers walked 1.5 to 2 hours on a steep mountain trail. Carrying relief material on their shoulders and heads, they reached affected families and delivered necessary supplies.
Relief in Bhaderwah, J&K
In the Bhaderwah region of J&K, Seva Bharati volunteers visited Bheja village, which was badly hit by heavy rains. Food items and utensils were provided to the affected families. Four houses were completely washed away in the flood, pushing families into extreme hardship. The swayamsevaks are also trying to construct new houses for these displaced families.
RSS extends flood relief across Punjab
Floods in Punjab have engulfed more than a thousand villages. Rising to the challenge, RSS swayamsevaks have taken charge of relief and rescue work with the cooperation of society. In Gurdaspur, swayamsevaks transported several trolley-loads of essential materials including milk, sugar, ration, drinking water, and medicines to ten affected villages. They even reached areas where no other help had yet arrived, working alongside the administration.
In Kapurthala district, entire teams of swayamsevaks supplied household items, odomos, candles, stomach medicines, ORS, and other essentials. In Mukerian, swayamsevaks extended assistance to flood-hit families in villages such as Haled, Kolia, Simbli, and Mehtabpur. In Mehtabpur, water had risen several feet high, submerging the area. Once the waters receded, swayamsevaks carried out cleaning and sanitation drives to restore normalcy. According to S Iqbal Singh, Prant Sanghchalak, swayamsevaks have also been instructed to collaborate with social organisations and provide support wherever the flood threat remains.
From the Himalayan terrain of Uttarakhand and Jammu to the floodplains of Punjab, the RSS has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to selfless service. Whether it is walking hours to reach remote villages, providing food and medical aid, or cleaning flood-hit areas, swayamsevaks continue to live by their guiding principle of Sewa Parmo Dharma.
