Enthusiasts from city, elsewhere use social networking sites and other means to raise funds for the affected
Enthusiasts from city, elsewhere use social networking sites and other means to raise funds for the affected
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City-Based quality analyst and biking enthusiast Vinay B Srinivas (27), who works with Tata Sky, launched a Facebook page called Rescue Leh yesterday.
"I started the page and have got a good response, with 15-20 people already coming forward to suggest ways to go about donating money," Srinivas said.
"I came across the news of the flash flood in the newspapers and was shocked because I have wanted to go to Leh for a long time now.
I want to do something to restore Leh back to its former glory, or even better, when I visit it one day." Srinivas realised the easiest way to reach out to the people of Leh was through the PM's Relief Fund.
Those wanting to contribute can either give cash directly to Srinivas, after which he will write a cheque in favour of the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, or they can go to any nationalised bank and write a cheque in favour of the PM's Relief Fund.
Santosh Kumar, founder of www.getoffurass.com, a company that sells travel gear and organises biking trips to Leh, among other destinations, said, "Leh is a beautiful place and it is sad that something like this has happened there. Our friend Pankaj Trivedi, a filmmaker is there at this point. He will come back soon.
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On August 12, we will be organising a conference where we will be showcasing the videos and photographs he has taken in Leh.
We will also be organising a drive to collect donations for the victims at this event."
Getoffurass's updates on the Ladakh situation and initiatives can be seen on the Facebook page 'Getoff Ur Ass'.
In Delhi
Delhi's leading biker group Team 456, which is also into bike renting, is trying to communicate with its vendors in Leh to extend help.
"We all have personal attachment to that place as we go there every year.
Even the people there know us and are very hospitable. Now when they are in trouble it's our chance to help them, but unfortunately we have not succeeded in establishing contact with them," said Vinod, co-founder of Team 456.
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"We are not sure what kind of help they need, whether financial or in the form of food. When the situation stabilises, we will go there to support them."
Various threads are making the rounds of biking community websites, trying to arrange help for the locals in Leh.
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On India's largest biking community website, www.xbhp.com, a member named Shalabh posted this appeal: "I request all the bikers to provide help to people in leh to make them come back to there normal life.
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Let us all contribute Rs 500 each through cheque and can give it to the authorities in Leh Development Authority."
In Mumbai
Chandrashekhar Jakka (53) had made a road trip to Leh-Ladakh in June with his friends. Jakka said, "We made some friends there, whom we tried to contact during their hour of need now, but couldn't get through.
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Some of our friends have also gone on a road trip there and are stuck there. They are helping the people out there."
In Pune
Advocate Sandip Deshmukh, along with his three friends was on a bike trip to Leh and got stuck in the mountainous region after the flash flood there that has claimed over 150 lives and rendered hundreds missing.
Deshmukh's wife Pallavi said, "I received a call from Sandip in the morning informing that all four have safely reached Manali. I managed to speak to him last Tuesday, and since then his cell phone was constantly out of reach."
Deshmukh, who left Manali on August 3, said, "Weu00a0 left for Pang where the army transit camp is situated at 16,500 ft and the weather was bad. Around 100 people were stranded as the roads ahead were all in a shambles.
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The military provided rations and all necessary facilities to stranded tourists. We had to leave our bikes at Kelong as there was waist-deep water everywhere and the roads and the bridges ahead had collapsed and then we had to come back to Manali."
(Inputs from Amrita Bose and Priyanjali Ghose in Bangalore, Rinkita Gurav in Mumbai, and Debarati Palit in Pune)
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