Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Staff contribute Rs. 6 lakhs towards Tsunami Relief

Faculty and staff of the Ettimadai, Coimbatore campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Deemed University) have contributed over Rs. 6 lakhs for the
Tsunami Relief Efforts. All faculty members of the Amrita schools of Engineering, Business and Journalism at Ettimadai have graciously contributed 1% of their annual salary for the relief efforts. This significant contribution will be utilized for the relief activities being undertaken by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math.

Amrita Varsity Students in all out Relief Operations in Tsunami Affected Areas

Students of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Deemed University), Ettimadai, Coimbatore have been engaging in massive relief operations, since the Tsunami killer waves hit the coast of Tamil Nadu. The students have commenced relief work at Ervanoor, Kottilamedu, Karimbukattukuppom, Kovalam and other villages in the suburbs of Chennai. A large contingent of students and staff from the university are leaving today for assisting in relief work at Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. Yesterday, 3 truckloads of rice and other food items, emergency supplies, medicines and clothes left the university campus at Ettimadai for Chennai. Infact, the Amrita university students were the first from Coimbatore to respond to the needs of the suffering people. This was in response to the clarion call from the Chancellor of Amrita University, Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (AMMA), one of the foremost humanitarian and spiritual leaders in the country, who had instructed all her ashrams in Tamil Nadu at Chennai, Coimbatore and Pondicherry to contribute and participate in the relief operations.

Relief Operations in Chennai

At Chennai, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math has taken leadership in the relief work in various places. 18,000 people are being fed on a daily basis since the unfortunate day of the Tsunami strike. The refugees are being given 3 full meals, potable water, blankets, sarees, dhotis and other clothes in their dark hours of distress. A medical team is providing the much needed medicines and emergency supplies to the affected. Food is prepared at a central kitchen and transported by the Math vehicles to the relief camps. Incidentally, in many of the places where the Math is providing relief, no other organization or NGO or agency is involved. Relief operations in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Pondicherry will begin immediately. Large numbers of volunteers and students from Amrita University will be reaching these areas by tomorrow. The Mata Amritanandamayi Math is also planning to build houses for the victims of the black Sunday. The Math has already built 30,000 houses all over the country for the poor, tribals, slum dwellers and downtrodden under the Amrita Kuteeram scheme in the last 5 years. Now this scheme will be extended to the victims of this tragedy also.

AMMA Supervises Massive Relief Operations in coastal belt of Kerala

Amritapuri, Kollam, the headquarters of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math has emerged as the center of all relief operations in Kerala. More than 150 people have died in these areas around Karunagapally, which is the worst affected region in Kerala. AMMA is personally supervising and coordinating the relief operations in the affected areas in Kollam. Over 10000 villagers are housed in relief camps at the Amrita University campus at Amritapuri and other places. Here they are being provided food, medicine, clothes and blankets. Rice and other supplies are also sent from the Math to other relief camps run by the government in other parts of Kerala. Infact, in one of the worst affected village, Azhikkal, without a single standing house, the ashram has sent emergency food and supplies, when it was known that no relief had reached there. 6 Ambulances from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi are visiting the relief camps every two hours for distributing medicines and providing medical aid. Amrita University students at Amritapuri are also actively participating in the relief operations here.

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30th December, 2004