RSS volunteers conduct relief operations in disaster hit areas of U’khand By Arun Pratap Singh Dehradun, 1 Sep: Following the recent flash floods in Uttarakhand, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers have taken the lead in providing assistance to affected communities. Acting under the Uttarakhand Daiviya Aapda Sahayata Samiti, a significant number of RSS volunteers have visited disaster-hit villages and coordinated distribution of food kits and other essential supplies. The Sangh’s Prant Pracharak, Dr Shailendra, shared that relief material collected from various sections of society is first being accumulated in Dehradun and Rishikesh before being sent to the affected areas. RSS Prant Karyavah, Dinesh Semwal, has stated that the volunteers from the affected regions send a list of required items, which are then collected here and arranged to be delivered to the people. To prevent any misuse of the relief materials, the volunteers themselves monitor the distribution. It is worth noting that, in many villages of Rudraprayag district, life has been disrupted due to the calamity. For the last three days, the Sangh’s volunteers have been engaged in managing relief efforts in the disaster-stricken areas with a spirit of service. On average, teams of volunteers have set up centres at four locations daily and are carrying out service work in every village. Semwal said that in many places where relief vehicles cannot reach, their volunteers are walking several kilometres to deliver the relief material to higher-altitude areas. In villages difficult to access by road, volunteers have been walking to distribute supplies to residents. RSS teams have also set up medical vans along nearby roads and are offering medical support to patients, procuring additional medicines from towns if needed. The relief initiatives have been conducted in coordination with the administration and local government services. The local residents have also noted the presence of RSS volunteers delivering aid across multiple locations, with service centres established in various villages each day. These efforts supplement the support provided by government authorities, and residents in remote areas have appreciated the help offered by the organisation’s volunteers.