Delhi-NCR

LIST OF ACTIVITIES

Provision of Cooked Meals for outward bound Migrant Workers.
Provision of Dry Rations for Migrant Workers, the Homeless, Daily Wagers, Rickshaw Pullers and other vulnerable groups.
Provision of Sustenance Packs to homebound workers.
Provision of PPE Kits (06 parts, 70 Gsm Sets) for the Delhi Police, Tri -Ply Masks for Hospital Staff and patients, N 95 Masks for Doctors and Nurses, Non-Sterile Gloves and Oxy-meters for Hospitals, Latex gloves and Disposable Surgical Gowns for doctors.
Reusable Cloth Masks for the Homeless, Migrant Workers, Daily Wagers and other vulnerable groups

Satsang Seva Mission 2021- Dry Rations for 100 families of patients

The Delhi Kendra SSM group has distributed dry rations for two weeks to 100 families of cancer patients, COVID patients and patients with Chronic Kidney Disease who have also tested positive for COVID, arriving from all over the country for treatment at the All India Institute for Medical Sciences and the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi over the 10th and 11th of May, 2021. The families are either mostly living in Dharamshalas near the hospitals or even on pavements outside the hospitals with little or no access to food and essentials, given the curfew orders to contain the pandemic in the city. The distribution was done at the Dharamshalas and the Emergency wards of both hospitals where patients were awaiting treatment. Each dry ration pack contains 5kg Rice, 5 kg Atta, 1 Litre oil, 1 kg sugar, 250 gm tea, 250 gm salt, 2 kg Channa Dal, 100 gm turmeric, 1 Dettol Soap and 1 detergent for washing clothes.

Total Distribution till 31st August, 2020 in numbers:

Week's worth dry ration kit for a family of 05 members-5,885 Families i.e. corresponding to 4,11,950 meals, Separate Dry ration for 24,500 meals, Travel Sustenance pack (Sattu, Poha, roasted Chana, Jaggery, Biscuit, juice, Soap)- 450 Packs, Tri ply masks-28,500, Nitrile Gloves-24,500, PPE KITs (6parts)-100 sets, PPE Coverall- 150 sets, N 95 Masks-1200, Oxy meters-10 pieces, Disposable Surgical Gowns-300 Pcs., Latex gloves-6,000 pcs., Washable, reusable Cloth Masks-16,128.

Sri M urges all hands on the deck to deal with the COVID crises:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/coronavirus-crisis/covid-19-crisis-social-reformer-sri-m-s-foundation-urges-people-to-support-the-needy/story-LkeZBEpTgUsjCPadDbq4YN.html

Delhi-NCR SSM Team Provide Trunks for People Rendered Homeless by Heavy Rains

The heavy rains that lashed the capital this monsoon led to the collapse of 15 Jhuggis in Anna Nagar in Central Delhi, rendering 86 of their inhabitants homeless. These included 17 men, 36 women and 33 children. The families could barely escape with their lives as an overflowing drain bore away most of the houses in July.

Officials shifted them to a roadside camp opposite the World Health Organisation building near the Income Tax Office on the Outer Ring Road, before moving them into an empty school. An SSM team visited the camp and saw that while food and bare essentials were looked after, the meagre possessions that they had regularly got stolen since they had no storage space. The team managed to procure 12 trunks with locks for the families to safely and dryly keep the documents and belongings that they managed to salvage, even as their petition for housing pended in court, extending their period of uncertainty. The trunks were handed over on the 28th of August with the help of funds raised by the team locally.

1500 Washable, Re-usable Cloth Masks for Delhi Homeless and Destitute 14th -24th August

Even as the capital city opens up in phases, migrant labour has started wending their way back from their villages to resume work. The Delhi-NCR SSM group distributed 1,500 washable, reusable cloth masks made by self-help groups in Chennai, supported by the TSF Chennai Kendra, to the homeless and destitute across the capital city over the past 10 days.

The masks were distributed with the help of the Centre for Holistic Development headed by a Satsangi who helps run night shelters and food kitchens for the homeless and new migrants to the city.

300 Surgical Gowns, 6,000 Gloves and 1,000 N95 Masks for DDU Hospital in West Delhi

The Delhi-NCR SSM team was approached by the capital city’s largest tertiary care unit, the Deen Dayal Upadyhaya Hospital, when the pandemic was peaking to help them with supplies of disposable surgical gowns, latex gloves and N-95 masks for the use of their dedicated staff, working round the clock to deal with the influx of patients in COVID times.

Dr. Ripudaman Kaur Chawla, Head of Office of the hospital who is also the Assistant Medical Superintendent, requested the team to help supply Personal Protection Equipment for their doctors in the form of :

- 300 Disposable Surgical Gowns

- 6000 pieces of latex gloves

- 1000 N-95 Masks

While the Delhi-NCR SSM team were able to source the gloves and good quality disposable surgical gowns at a competitive price in Delhi, help was requested from the Mumbai team to procure the N95 Masks that were not readily available in the capital. Of the 6,000 pieces of gloves, 2,000 came from a donor impressed with SSM work for the medical fraternity.The Mumbai team sourced the N95 masks for the hospital. All supplies were handed over to DDU hospital on Friday the 14 th of August and were received with thanks.

SSM Delhi-NCR Serves 295 Families in Ninth Round of Dry Ration Distribution in NOIDA

As India’s Coronovirus counts inched towards the million mark and NOIDA imposed a total lockdown for weekends till the end of July, requests for dry rations started coming in to SSM volunteers from different Jhuggi clusters around the area. The team tried to meet all the requests it received by supplementing its own stock with donations in kind from Satsangis, neighbours and friends.

In the sultry monsoon heat, the Delhi-NCR SSM volunteers distributed 295 ration packs over five days from the 6^th to the 10^th of July depending on the requests received and the donations that came in. One hundred and thirty two ration packs were distributed in Sector 135 and 18 in Sector 94, where most tea sellers and other street vendors who cater to offices in the latter sector stay. The police has asked them not to operate as of now. Another 145 packets were distributed in Jhuggi clusters in three different locations in Sectors 92, 93 and 93b.

Weary, teary-eyed people sat outside police chowkis waiting for the ration bags and profusely thanked SSM for coming to their aid in times of need and assuaging their hunger. The people served were mostly those who had migrated to the city and built better lives for themselves, but saw their dreams being shattered by the pandemic and the lockdown. Most of them were deeply concerned that their children’s education would be disrupted. They said they did not have money to recharge their mobiles for their children to continue their online classes. Others said they had stopped buying milk in order to be able to afford their children’s school fees and books. Still others said they had been asked to vacate their homes since they could no longer afford the rent. The volunteers distributed the packs with a prayer in their hearts that the sufferings of those they served be mitigated.

DELHI-NCR SSM ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK 11

Summary: Covid 19 cases jumped to over four lakhs country-wide, seeing a rapid rise in the metro cities, especially in the national capital region, with a steady spike in numbers bringing them to a whopping 59,746 by the night of June 21^st. The Delhi-NCR team sought to contribute a drop in the ocean by sending 500 washable, reusable cloth masks for distribution by the Red Cross in Gurugram.The masks were distributed by them along with hygiene kits for distressed workers on the 14^th of June.

Meanwhile the plight of the work force continued unabated. The “unlock” phase brought some hopeful migrants back from their villages, where they said there was nothing to sustain them. They joined the large number of workers from the lower income group, who had been laid off from work and found themselves in food queues having depleted their savings in paying school fees for their children (taking online classes) and rentals for their homes. A few of them had to move out of their homes to under flyovers since they did not have the wherewithal to continue to pay rent. As SSM Volunteers distributed 187 dry ration packs sponsored by themselves and friends and neighbours who had been following their work, to people in slum clusters of Sectors 93a and 93b on the 20^th of June, a large number of laid off drivers, maids, peons and factory workers from nearby Gejha village collected asking if they could have a bit of food for their children to tide them over for the week. They even asked if the volunteers could organize some work for them so they could be back on their feet. Some of them collected outside the police station where the distribution was taking place. The volunteers shared whatever they could and some of the desperate families divided the packets into two and shared them to assuage everyone’s hunger.

500 Cloth Masks for the Red Cross in Gurugram:

SSM Delhi-NCR gave 500 washable reusable cloth masks to the Red Cross in Gurugram for distressed out-of-work people, to be distributed along with hygiene packs to protect them from the rapidly spreading COVID 19 pandemic in the NCR. The distribution was effected on the 14^th of June.

Delhi-NCR SSM Activities for Week 10

207 Dry Ration Packs for NOIDA and rebuilding of five jhuggis destroyed by a storm:

Even as the “Unlocking” phase continued under the technical lockdown, the Delhi-SSM team paused activities to reconsider where they should focus their resources, given the rapidly changing situation. Consequently, week 10 only saw the distribution of dry ration packages in NOIDA pending from last week due to the paucity of police personnel.

The team distributed 170 dry ration packages in three different locations in Sectors 92, 93 and 93b on the 8th of June. This time people served included those from pucca homes, who have children in schools and have so far been living off their savings, but now have no money left to feed their families. They belong to the lower middle income group that has been forced out into the streets seeking sustenance. Many among them were household help and are not being allowed into apartment complexes by some Resident Welfare Associations. Some among them have been restricted to work in single homes only with salary cuts.

While distributing packets to the ones verified by police and the administration, a woman came up to the team asking if she could also have a dry ration pack and on being refused, started weeping and walking away. She was stopped and given a packet. Twelve dry ration packs were distributed to differently abled street vendors with hand rickshaws in Sector 48 on the 9th of June. Street vendors, specially in and around containment zones, are not being allowed to ply their trade since the administration is wary of the spreading of the virus. The team in fact discovered a group of such vendors who used to ply their trade outside the crematorium in Sector 94, selling tea and food to people coming there for doing the last rites of their departed relatives. Bodies of people who had died of Covid 19, were being transported wrapped fully in plastic sheets, sometimes with no one to do the final rites. Nearly 18 such families were asked not to ply their trade there anymore and were in dire straits. One such handcart had to be confiscated by the police to stop them from operating in what could be a prospective hot spot.

Police was also handed over 25 dry ration packages for distribution in the containment zones of Sector 135 and 136 on the 9th of June. So far our NOIDA SSM Sewaks have been able to serve 10,340 people through dry ration packs and their understanding is that though the demographics of those served is changing with the departure of migrant workers, some are trickling back and the erstwhile lower middle income groups are now the ones in need of sustenance.

On the 10th of June a huge storm hit NOIDA, uprooting trees and billboards and blowing away the flimsy tarpaulin coverings of some jhuggis in Sector 93 of NOIDA. A Satsangi and his friends sponsored the repair of five such jhuggis with fresh rolls of tarpaulin, providing shelter to the families from the merciless summer sun and the impending monsoon rains. The team helped effect the repairs on June 12th.

DELHI-NCR SSM ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK Nine

Summary: As Delhi-NCR SSM activities touched week nine and the country entered what was termed the first “Unlock” phase from June 1, the massive churning caused by the COVID 19 Pandemic continued unabated. Cases countrywide hit 247,000, of which Delhi-NCR alone accounted for 27,000. The premier national All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Delhi’s only tertiary care hospital in its heavily populated Eastern district, the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, reached out to the team for Nitrile gloves, 3-Ply Masks and PPE Coveralls. Though difficult to procure because of the heavy demand, the team managed to provide 4,500 pairs of Nitrile gloves and an equal number of 3-Ply Masks to AIIMS and 150 Personal Protection Equipment Coveralls to the GTB Hospital on the 4^th of June.

In NOIDA and Gurugram, where the team has been distributing dry ration packs for eight weeks now, the demographics of the people served appeared to show a shift. While a lot of the daily wagers and construction labour, unable to afford rent, had gone home to their villages via road, on foot or on the Shramik trains provided by the government and labour camps set up for those departing were almost emptied out, the people remaining were those working in malls, restaurants or running small businesses or else domestic help and drivers who had not been called back for work. The former section hoped to resume work the following week when the malls and restaurants were supposed to open, while the latter clung on to a hope and prayer that they would be called back. People in containment zones and those who had no links with villages were some of the others left behind. However, as the economy opened up, in NOIDA two families came back from their villages disappointed at their treatment there and feeling they were better off in the city where at least their rations were taken care of. The team distributed 350 dry ration packs in collaboration with the BG Foundation in Samaspur, Chakkarpur, Sector 71, Jharsa, Ram Chowk and Golf Course Road in Gurugram over the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th of June. In NOIDA, the team distributed 145 Dry Ration packs in the containment zone of Yakub Nagar and another 18 in Sector 93 on June 6th, where the two returning families were present. Distribution will continue in NOIDA from June 8^th when the Police hope to have adequate numbers present to assist.

In Lathera village, where TSF Delhi-NCR runs the Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya, small shops began to open up with the easing of the lockdown, resulting in many families being able to access the cooking oil, pulses, salt, sugar, tea etc that the SSM team was providing them with. Consequently the number of families being served during the distribution on June 5th went down to 11, being mainly the most vulnerable ones who had no access to any income to purchase these goods to supplement the wheat and rice being provided via the Public Distribution System. Of the 11, tellingly, two were families of migrant workers who had returned from the cities.

While the Delhi Government announced it was unlikely to run more Shramik trains in the near future both because the economy was opening up and also because most outbound workers had already left, the team was approached by the administration to provide travel sustenance packs for passengers bound for Purnea, Bihar on one of the last few trains on June 6^th. The train was to depart the same evening. The team quickly got its act together putting in place 250 travel sustenance packs containing Poha (1/2 kg), Sattu (1/2 kg), Roasted channa (400 gms), Jaggery (250 gms), glucose biscuits (4 packets), juice (2 boxes of Frooti), and a bar of Dettol soap. The team also distributed 136 face masks.The team is working on a need basis, trying to cater to the rapidly changing scenario in whatever way it best can, while also looking at fast paced developments to see where it can best intervene. Details follow:

350 Dry Ration Packs for Gurugram and 163 Dry Ration Packs for NOIDA:

The distribution of dry ration packs continued apace in Gurugram and NOIDA, with some changes in the people served. In Gurugram, the Delhi-NCR SSM team, in collaboration with the BG Foundation, distributed 150 dry ration packs in Samaspur on June 3; 70 dry ration packs in Chakkarpur on June 4; and 110 dry ration packs in Sector 71, twelve packs in Jharsa, three in Ram Chowk and five in Golf Course Road on June 5, making it a total of 350 dry ration packs in all.

SSM volunteers present in Chakkarpur said people had queued up for distribution despite light rain and the 48 dry ration packs they had with them ran out in minutes, with 10 more people left in standing in anticipation. They quickly organised 10 additional bags with the help of the BG Foundation so that no one went back disappointed. They also distributed 12 packs at Bristol Hotel to florists and vendors whose shops had remained shut for more than two months because of the lockdown.

Pain was palpable in the eyes of those whom the team served and they came dressed in their best to hold up their self-respect during this time of privation. Some of them are hoping to return to their jobs once the malls and restaurants open next week, but most are either housemaids, drivers, car cleaners and daily wagers who may not be asked to resume their jobs and are struggling to figure out how to make ends meet. The volunteers served with a prayer in their hearts that the situation stabilises soon enough to allow proper sustenance for all.

In NOIDA’s Yakub Nagar, a containment zone, SSM Volunteers distributed 145 packets of dry rations with the help of the police on the 6^th of June. Only one person was allowed out of the area at a time to collect their package and Police stood with the team for the full five hours for which the distribution lasted. The team also distributed another 18 dry ration packets at sector 93 on the same day. Among those queued up for the dry rations were two families who had left the city for their village, but decided to come back because they said they were treated as outcasts and had no means of sustenance there. At least they were assured of meals in the city, they said.

Many women approached the volunteers asking if they could help them get some work. However, the zone remains restricted and even if they are provided some help as vendors of tea, food or small goods, the administration will not allow them to function in the area. So the team is exploring further ideas. The dry ration distribution will continue in NOIDA from Monday once more Police teams are available to help out in the containment zones.

4,500 3-Ply Masks, 4500 Nitrile Gloves for AIIMS &150 PPE Coveralls for GTB Hospital:

COVID-19 has reached the stage of community spread in our country with almost 2,47,000 cases confirmed Covid positive nationwide and more than 27,000 cases in Delhi alone. Hospitals are the backbone of the healthcare system and doctors have been serving patients tirelessly for more than two months in this pandemic crisis.

The Delhi-NCR team responded to a desperate call for nitrile gloves and 3-ply masks from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and PPE Coveralls by the Guru TegBahadur Hospital. In these times of ever increasing demand, procuring good quality equipment posed a challenge. However, the team managed to provide AIIMS with 4,500 nitrile gloves and 4,500 3-ply masks and GTB Hospital with 150 PPE Coveralls on the 4th of June for which they were very grateful.

Distribution of Dry Ration Packs for 11 Families in CSVL, Lathera Village:

As the lockdown eased in Lathera Village, Garh Mukteshwar District where TSF Delhi-NCR runs the Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya, cooking oil, spices, salt, sugar and pulses began being available in the tiny grocery shops in the village, which had earlier been shut because of the lockdown. Consequently, the number of families requiring the customised ration packages were reduced to only those who had no means to purchase any of these goods from the stores to supplement the rice and wheat they were getting from the local Public Distribution System shop. Among these eleven indigent families were those of a couple of migrant workers who had returned from the cities. On June 5^th, the eleven families received the specially customised dry ration packs within the school premises.

250 Travel Sustenance Packs, 136 Masks for Shramik Express Passengers to Bihar:

As the last few Shramik Express trains chugged out of the NCR with homeward bound city makers on the 6^th of June, the SSM team were able to provide 250 travel sustenance packs and 136 masks to passengers travelling to Purnea, Bihar, on short call.

On the morning of the 6^th, Delhi Police called apprising the team about a Shramik Express train scheduled to depart at 8 pm from the Anand Vihar Railway Station the same day. The team immediately swung into action and by 5:30 pm, with 250 packs in hand, reached the police station at Anand Vihar Railway Station. Passengers were being bused by the Delhi government to the railway station and with the help of the police, at the bus stand, the team distributed 250 packs containing Poha (1/2 kg), Sattu (1/2 kg), Roasted channa (400 gms), Jaggery (250 gms), glucose biscuits (4 packets), juice (2 boxes of Frooti), and a bar of Dettol soap. The team also distributed 136 face masks.

A young boy, a rag picker, stood by the side, wordlessly, watching the team distribute packages to passengers in the 10 buses they were able to serve. His patience was rewarded with the last bag of goodies. The events of the day and the distribution itself were seamless: the unseen hand at work, ever present, ever visible, to all who have eyes to see.

DELHI-NCR SSM ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK EIGHT

Summary: Migration and Misery – the two words most appropriately described the week just gone by as the fourth phase of the countrywide lockdown to combat COVID 19 ran its course. The huge exodus of the real city makers of this National Capital Region continued apace, with a scramble to find seats on the free Shramik trains being run by the government. While the Delhi-NCR SSM team, working in tandem with the police and administration, sought to provide cooked food and sustenance packs to the departing workers, reports of other travellers perishing because of heat, exhaustion, dehydration and hunger began trickling in. The team was able to provide 1050 packets of cooked food and 295 masks to anxious travellers boarding buses taking them to train stations from Noida’s Special Economic Zone, and to those who didn’t get seats on the trains but had set out on foot and were persuaded to come back to labour camps to await their turn, over the 25^th, 26th and 27^th of May. Between May 21-27, 2020, the Satsang Seva Mission provided 2,450 hot food packets of puri halwa/chana to migrant workers departing in special trains or housed in labour camps in Noida. The volunteers also distributed 885 face masks over the same period.

From May 27^th to May 29^th the focus shifted to distributing 200 travel sustenance packs comprising of Poha (1/2 kg), Sattu (1/2 kg), Roasted channa (400 gms), Jaggery (250 gms), glucose biscuits (4 packets), juice (200 ml), and a bar of Dettol soap. They also distributed 300 adult face masks and 65 children’s masks to travellers boarding buses for the train station from the Noida Special Economic Zone on request from the police and administration, who were moved by their plight. Men and women, young and old, infants and little children, pregnant women, all braved the scorching summer heat and miserable travelling conditions to see the face of home and deal with an uncertain future.

For those left behind, there seemed no let up to the misery. SSM Volunteers in Noida came across three children rummaging for food in a bin outside a grocery shop. On walking them home, they found a woman boiling expired Maggi noodles, a packet of chips, a handful of rice and a packet of crisps to assuage their hunger. This jhuggi was part of a small cluster of eight families of garbage collectors who served the upscale housing societies around and whose contractor had abandoned them without paying their dues. Pooling together their resources, the volunteers bought eight dry ration packs and handed them over to the eight families there the very next day, the 25^th of May, that also happened to be Eid. Also on Eid, the volunteers put together 50 packets of sewiyan, milk, sugar and dry fruits for families who had little or no resources left to mark the festival in any way. In Gurugram, meanwhile 151 packets of dry rations were distributed to families in Sector 43, Samaspur and Wazirabad over the 25^th and 26^th of May in collaboration with the BG Foundation.

The week ended with the SSM team handing over 500 washable and reusable cloth masks on the 30^th of May to families whose homes and belongings had been swallowed up by a raging fire in Tughlakabad village, that devastated the area just after midnight on the 26^th of May. While the administration was taking care of other needs, they reached out to SSM for masks to protect them from COVID 19 wherever they would be housed next. Details follow:

350 Cooked Food Packets, 60 Masks for Departing Workers, Labour Camps – 25/05:

Distribution of cooked food for the fifth day of the packed food project began early for the Delhi-NCR SSM team. With five trains scheduled to depart for destinations in Bihar, passengers were thronging the temporary bus stand at the NOIDA Special Economic Zone (NSEZ) since daybreak, anxious to get to the railway station and secure proper seats much in advance. The team began distributing warm puri and chana packets by 10 am in the morning and were out of packs soon after. Daily wage workers and unemployed domestic help who could no longer afford rent and were having trouble feeding their families, were returning to homes in Madhubani, Chapra, Samastipur, Motihari and Katihar. With the mercury soaring, it looked like a tough road ahead for them and the team added wishes and prayers for their safe journey while distributing the packs.

The team also responded to a call for distribution of 80 cooked food packets to families of unemployed construction workers in Nangli Labour Camp in Sector 133. In all, the team distributed 350 cooked food packets, 50 adult and 10 children’s washable, reusable cloth masks. The team worked in close collaboration with the Police, who asked for all the help they could get over the next two to three days. They said people who belonged to the “lower middle class” before the lockdown, had not been able to pay rent and had no food to eat, two and a half months into the lockdown. They came dressed in their best because they were too proud to show their need, the police said. This did not include the less advantaged sections who remain in dire straits, they added.

350 Cooked Food Packets, 120 Masks for Departing Migrant Workers- 26/05:

When the SSM team reached the NSEZ bus stand with packets of Puri and Halwa on Tuesday, many heavy-hearted, departing migrant workers accepted the food as Prasad that would sustain them on their difficult journey home. Families with small children, old people, young men, all rapidly boarded buses to the Kasna and Dinkore railway stations where five trains were scheduled for Buxar, Sivan, Madhubani, Arariya, and Bhagalpur among other destinations in Bihar.

An old man with a walking stick enquiring about trains to Arrah; a man asking for an empty bottle to fill water; a family with little children carrying a small earthen pot of water for their four day journey to Bihar, were some of the scenes witnessed by the team as they saw off six busloads of passengers, most of them clutching a warm packet of food. In all, the team distributed 350 packets of Halwa-Puri, 100 adult facemasks and 20 children’s face masks. Even as news reports of crowded stations and passengers clamouring for food and water over three to six day journeys in the sweltering heat trickled in, the team sent wishes and prayers for the safety of the homeward bound.

350 Cooked Food Packets, 115 Masks for Departing Workers, Labour Camps - 27/05:

The day started early for the SSM team to be able to serve migrant workers who were trying to beat the scorching heat by setting out for the departing Shramik trains in the cooler hours. Two busloads of passengers were served by 10 am. As a second wave of travellers trickled in, they were sent directly into the buses, halwa puri packets in hand. All were hoping to catch one of the five trains scheduled for Khagariya, Gaya, Aurangabad, Muzaffarpur and Motihari in Bihar.

The team also revisited the Nangli labour camp in Sector 133, where families of construction workers have been seeing harrowing times in the past two and a half months. All in all, 350 packets of halwa-puri, 100 adult and 15 children’s face masks were distributed during the day.

Distribution of 159 Dry Ration Packs, 50 Sewiyan Packs, 20 Masks in Gurugram and Noida:

As SSM Volunteers were wrapping up distribution of dry ration packs on Sunday last week, one of them came across a group of children standing barefoot on the scorching pavement. When she asked them to stand in the shade to protect their feet, their distraught mother said there was a time when they would all get a new set of clothes for Eid and this time she couldn’t even afford to buy them a pair of slippers. The volunteer immediately took off her own footwear and gave it to an older child, while going around for the rest of the day in a pair of socks. The SSM team consulted among themselves and decided that they would try to help the distressed families celebrate Eid that was on Monday, the 25^th. They put together 50 packets of sewiyan (vermilcelli), milk, sugar and dry fruits distributing them to as many families in Sectors 93a, 93b, 136 and Medicinal Park. For many of the families, it was the first thing they cooked on Eid and they were delighted they could light their cooking fires with their traditional sweet dish in this difficult time. The volunteers were touched by their expressions of relief and happiness.

On the same day, the volunteer came across three young children rummaging through a dustbin kept outside a grocery store. Apparently, the grocer kept expired bread, biscuits and sauces in a rack outside his shop as well. The volunteer followed the children to their cluster of eight jhuggis and they turned out to belong to families of garbage collectors, who were hired to collect garbage from outside upscale housing societies. The contractor who had hired them had vanished and they had not been paid their dues. To assuage their hunger, one woman had thrown together bits of expired Maggi noodles, a little rice, a packet of chips and another of crisps in a vessel of boiling water. She said, “Didi paise nahin chaihiye, kahin safai ka kaam lagwa do”. (Sister, we don’t want any money, but please let us know if there is any work available for cleaning anywhere.) They had nothing to go back to in villages, so intended to stay, hoping things would get better.

Some volunteers made an impromptu collection of funds, put together eight dry ration packs for a week and distributed them to the families along with 20 washable and reusable cloth masks on the 25^th of May.

In Gurugram, the SSM Delhi-NCR team in collaboration with the BG Foundation continued the distribution of dry ration packs started on the Sunday of the previous week. On the 25^th of May they distributed 70 dry ration packs in Sector 43 and 30 in Wazirabad. On the 26^th of May they distributed another 51 dry ration packs in Samaspur, bringing up a total of 151 packs.

200 Sustenance Travel Packs, 365 Masks for Home-bound Workers in NOIDA:

Between May 27^th and 29^th, the SSM Delhi-NCR team distributed 200 travel sustenance packs to home bound migrant workers and their families. The travel packs included Poha (1/2 kg), Sattu (1/2 kg), Roasted channa (400 gms), Jaggery (250 gms), Glucose biscuits (4 packets), Juice (200 ml), and a bar of Dettol soap. They also distributed 300 adult face masks and 65 children’s masks. The distribution was done with police support at the NSEZ bus stand from where passengers were being transported to Shramik trains.

Groups queued up from the early hours of the morning in anticipation of buses and trains, making frantic queries with the police. There were mothers traveling alone with toddlers, at the end of their tether, desperate to know if there was a train to Sultanpur. There were able-bodied men asking for work in lieu of free food. There were pregnant women with children traveling to Bhagalpur, sitting atop their bags in 47 degree heat. There was a group of families of labourers with small children who missed the last free train to Bihar, having no option but to squat in the heat for 10 hours before being bused to catch a train to Uttar Pradesh, not quite where their village is in Samastipur, but still, a few kilometres closer to home.

Similarly, seeing children put straws in their juice boxes and mothers pass packets of biscuits to their children does not quite assuage the poignancy of the situation, but is a small step. The SSM team is closely watching the situation on the ground and hopes to respond swiftly and in right measure to the rapidly unfolding scenario.

500 Cloth Masks for People Displaced by a Raging Fire in Tughlakabad Village:

Over 250 shanties were gutted and a thousand people displaced after a fire broke out in Tughlaqabad village just after midnight on Tuesday, 26^thMay, 2020. The homes mainly belonged to families engaged in rag picking or dealing in scrap. Many families were sleeping at the time the fire started and had little time to save their belongings. While no casualty has been reported, people have lost all the money they had and their ATM cards were burnt along with all their identity cards. The fire was so close to them that all they could do was run. Relief operations began by noon, with the displaced families being given support by government volunteers and social workers. In these times of fear of Covid 19, they reached out to the Delhi-NCR SSM team for some masks. On the 30^th of May, the team was able to fulfil their need for 500 washable, reusable cotton masks that would protect them as they searched for new bearings.

SSM DELHI-NCR ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK SEVEN:

Summary: In its seventh week, SSM Delhi-NCR saw a huge amount of activity in response to the very fluid and uncertain situation on the ground. With the lockdown easing and movement being permitted, a massive churning seemed to be taking place with migrant labour and daily wagers rushing for reservations on trains/buses or any vehicles arranged by their state governments to take them back to their home towns. Those who could not get on to any mode of transport set out on foot in harsh summer conditions, with police persuading them to come back to labour camps organised within the city’s borders till proper transport was arranged. One family of a differently abled street vendor, served last week by the team, rode back home to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh on his hand operated special rickshaw. The ones who stayed back were mostly those expecting payments from local contractors or those within containment zones where movement was prohibited. Even when the SSM local partner in Gurugram, the BG Foundation, took along contractors to offer those laid off from work new jobs, a great majority of them refused, saying they preferred to go home. Consequently, the Delhi-NCR SSM team was majorly engaged in serving those on the border areas/ containment zones/ labour camps or outbound travellers, who had little access to food.

The week began with the distribution of 100 dry ration packs and 200 cloth masks for 100 families in Kalindi Kunj on the NCR-Uttar Pradesh Border on the 18^th of May. On the 19^th of May, 100 Dry Ration Packs and 125 masks were distributed in Labour Camps and jhuggi clusters in Sectors 133 and 134 of NOIDA. From the 21^stto the 24^thof May, 350 packets of cooked meals were provided everyday for migrant workers leaving for home on buses and trains organised by their state governments. They were often the only meals the travellers would have access to during the day. In Gurugram and NOIDA, more volunteers joined the ground team for the distribution of 199 dry ration packs and 97 cloth masks in Chakkarpur, Bhondsi, Samaspur and Sikanderpur in the former on the 24^th of May and 367 dry ration packs in the latter area over the 23^rd and 24^th of May.

The need for food and rations seemed to be increasing rather than reducing with the outward movement of migrant labour from Delhi-NCR at least for the moment, with donor fatigue setting in in places and the request for food from the police for the homebound labour force as well as those confined in labour camps and containment zones. Where the need was also increasing was in Lathira Village where TSF Delhi-NCR runs the Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya. Tellingly, some migrants were returning to the village in UP as well, contributing to raising the number of dry ration packs distributed there from 28 to 35 on the 22^nd of May. The other development in the region was the huge upswing in cases with the lockdown easing. This affected the mini-verse of the Delhi-NCR SSM team as well.The tiny grocery shop in the Karol Bagh area of Central Delhi supplying most of the dry ration packs across the region on very nominal rates, with the owner’s contribution thrown in, was marked as part of a containment zone and supplies now are sourced from elsewhere. Also, DDU Hospital, which is currently on standby to cater to COVID patients again if numbers spiral, requested for and was supplied 8,000 more 3-ply masks and 10,000 non-sterile gloves for their staff on the 20^th of May. They are also a testing centre for the virus. Details Follow:

100 Dry Ration Packs and 200 Masks for families in Kalindi Kunj on the Delhi-UP Border:

Team Delhi-NCR resumed distribution in the sensitive Kalindi Kunj area after the request on Sunday the 17^th of May for at least 100 more dry ration packs for as many families on the heavily policed Delhi-UP border. While the team had distributed 248 packages the previous day for as many families in the area with police assistance and following WHO guidelines, the residents had handed over a list of 100 people in need, which was verified by the police. On Monday, the 18^th of May, the team distributed 100 ration packages after handing out tokens to the families in a cluster of hutments of daily wagers and migrant labour a couple of kilometres away from the metro station. The token holders were given two masks with each ration pack as well.

100 Ration Packs, 125 Masks for Labour Camps & Clusters in Sectors 133 & 134 NOIDA:

Noida is home to a large migrant community that provides services as domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, and daily wage-workers in construction. The construction community is particularly vulnerable as most of them are housed in temporary tenements and semi-finished buildings, several without family, being brought here by contractors who in turn, are unable to support them financially at present or send them home. The plight of the workers is further compounded by their inability to access government ration programs on linked Aadhar card schemes. Large numbers have decided to walk back home, driven by hunger.

Noida Expressway is a location where stranded workers are being convinced to stay in place by the police, in labour camps. Based on research in concert with the local police, the volunteers identified clusters in Sector 133 and 134 on Noida Expressway for distribution of dry rations. The police have been instrumental in helping and feeding their constituents, painstakingly maintaining lists of migrant workers who require help. It would not have been possible to reach this cohort of workers without their help.

On May 18^th, SSM volunteers set out with one hundred bags of dry rations designed to sustain small families (5 kg atta, 5 kg rice, 1.5 kg daal, 1 kg salt, 1 kg salt, half a litre of cooking oil, tea, and Dettol soap) for a few weeks. Escorted by the police, the volunteers reached the Wazidpur Labour Camp in Sector 133, where over 400 construction workers brought by over 24 contractors are housed. While a few have received some support by contractors, the majority have not. Distraught and wanting to go home, several hundred construction workers had set out, by bus or on foot, just the night before. In that milieu were also about twenty men who had returned from over crowded bus and train stations. The police patiently from their list re-confirmed that each recipient was indeed in need before 60 packs of dry rations were distributed to them.

Next, were clusters in Sector 134 and 135 that included daily wage-workers, domestic workers, and other migrants who have lost their jobs. While the local community supported them in the initial days of lockdown, resources have since run thin and there was visible relief on the faces of police as well as the community as the SSM team distributed and interacted with people on site. Once again, the police took exemplary care in ensuring packages made it to the people most in need. The contents of nine among the remaining 40 packages were divided into 18 smaller packages to be shared amongst workers who lived without families. Among those served were construction workers who have managed to survive for weeks on end but are now nearing the end of their tether; small children glad to receive masks that fit them and an abandoned mother fending for three physically challenged children. Exemplary service and assistance has been rendered by police who have been rescuing families setting off on foot for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, pleading with them to stay put until they can arrange transport and food. The Station in charge, Shri Yogesh Malik of Thana Noida Expressway, said “Majdooron ke liye aapke Foundation ka sahyog saraahniya hai.” (“The support of your Foundation for the labour force is indeed praiseworthy!”)

8,000 3-ply Masks & 10,000 Non Sterile Disposable Gloves for DDU Hospital:

DeenDayal Upadhyay Hospital, established by the Delhi Government in 1970, has been providing specialized services to people in thickly populated West Delhi. After serving a batch of COVID patients, it is currently deemed a testing centre and has been asked to be ready to treat more patients if cases spiral. It has a dedicated team of doctors and support staff doing exemplary work round the clock, with some of them even testing positive due to exposure.

Dr Ripudaman Kaur Chawla, Additional Medical Superintendent and Head of Office, DeenDayal Upadhyay Hospital, reached out to the SSM Delhi-NCR Team for more 3-ply masks and non-sterile disposable gloves as the hospital was running out of them. On the 20^th of May, the SSM Delhi team procured and handed over 8,000 3-ply masks and 10,000 non sterile disposable gloves for DDU Hospital, for which they expressed immense gratitude.

350 cooked meals, 130 masks for migrant labour in camps and leaving the city- 21/05:

On the 21^st of May, SSM volunteers distributed 350 packets of cooked food, each containing five puris and halwa, for migrant workers on their way out of the city or housed in labour camps near the NOIDA Expressway. As they were arriving, a bus was departing from the temporary bus stand in Sector 136, NOIDA, without any food. Police helped stop the bus some distance away and the volunteers were able to serve the passengers in it. All in all, SSM volunteers served passengers in two buses and those waiting to board the buses. There was no food available on the buses or easily accessible on the way. They also distributed food in a village in Chaprauli road, Sector 135, and to the Pradhan Market labour camp in Sector 134, all with police assistance. The volunteers also distributed 100 masks to adults and 30 masks to children, while briefing them on the importance of both social distancing and wearing masks. The distribution is slated to continue through the week.

350 cooked meals and 360 masks for migrant labour in camps and leaving the city – 22/05:

On the 22^nd of May, 350 food packets containing five puris and halwa each were distributed by SSM volunteers, with the help of the police, at three locations in Noida. The first two distribution venues were Chaprauli village in Sector 135, home to construction labour and migrant families, and the Pradhan Market labour camp in Sector 134. The third location was Bhangel, near the metro station in Sector 82 from where most buses for migrant workers were departing. People were squatting on the streets awaiting the buses and in the words of Mr. Avishash Kumar, the supervising policeman, the ones who got the packets were assured of at least one meal for the day. While the volunteers distributed nearly 45 percent of the packets at the temporary bus station, the demand easily outstripped the supply. SSM volunteers also distributed 300 adult face masks and 60 masks for children along with the food.

350 Cooked Meals for Migrant workers departing for Bihar – 23/05:

On the 23^rd of May, the Bihar government arranged for four trains for migrant workers from Dadri station in NOIDA to Patna, Katihar, Muzzafarpur and Arrah in Bihar. NOIDA authorities had set up a temporary bus stand to ferry the passengers to Dadri near the metro station at the Special Economic Zone close to Sector 82. SSM volunteers were able to respond in a timely manner to the request for food for workers boarding buses at the stand. Three hundred and fifty packets of puri and chana were served to the travellers who lined up in an orderly manner with proper social distancing at the call for hot puris. With police help, SSM volunteers distributed the packets to 350 daily wage workers, rickshaw pullers, construction labour and unemployed domestic workers. Some were traveling alone, and a few with children. Six busloads of passengers (over 600 people), several with still warm brown paper-bagged meals, left for the train station by noon.

350 Cooked Meals, 100 Masks for Migrant Workers Departing for Jharkhand – 24/05:

The fourth day of the distribution of cooked meals for migrant workers saw SSM volunteers back at the NSEZ bus stand from where nearly 1200 to 1500 passengers are being ferried to the railway station everyday. Two trains were scheduled to depart for Dhanbad, Kodarma, Ranchi and Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on the 24^th of May. SSM Volunteers served passengers waiting to board five busses, the 350 packets of five puris and halwa each. A hundred face masks were also distributed among them.

Dry ration packs for 35 families in Lathira village from Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya:

This week, seven families were added to the existing list of 28 families who had been identified as really needing in help in Village Lathira where the TSF Delhi Kendra runs Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya. Packs were customised to the needs of these families as many of them were getting rice and flour from the Public Distribution System, but needed oil, masala and pulses to cook with as small shops were left with no supplies following the lockdown. All 35 families came to CSVL for picking up the ration packs on the 22^nd of May. Even as the lockdown was easing up and the shops began to get their supplies and open for a limited time, some families were left with no income to purchase the goods. Some were destitute because they had lost their jobs in the cities where they had migrated and come back, others lost their source of income within the village itself as farm hands or casual labour. The school is in the process of reassessing needs and assigning assistance accordingly.

Dry Rations and 97 masks for 199 families in Gurugram and 367 families in NOIDA:

This time SSM volunteers joined the BG Foundation in distributing dry ration packs in Gurugram. All of 199 packages were distributed on the 24^th of May, of which 110 went to Samaspur, 55 to Chakkarpur, 28 to Bhondsi and 6 to Sikanderpur. In Samaspur, 70 masks were also distributed with the food packets to the orderly queue that was maintaining proper social distancing and infinite patience under the hot sun. The settlement houses mostly maids, casual workers for local contractors and other daily wagers. Worry about resumption of work was writ large and magnified for some of the maids and drivers who had heard about domestic helps re-joining in nearby societies. They softly blessed the distributors while accepting the packages.

In Chakkarpur, most of the people served were workers in nearby malls and shopping complexes or rickshaw pullers - all out of job for almost two months now and in dire need of help. SSM volunteers found it heartrending to see the tears of gratitude in their eyes while accepting the packages and the 27 masks they had carried with them. They started distribution with a line of 40 people that kept getting extended with out of work housekeeping staff from nearby complexes and destitute rickshaw pullers joining in. The volunteers came across a florist/ plant seller in front of Bristol Hotel who had had no business for two months and had lost most of his plants that were his only source of income. He had a wife and four children to feed, so was sitting outside in the hot sun in desperation to see if he could manage any earnings. One package was handed over to him. Still others kept coming, but the packages ran out after a while and the volunteers began distributing roasted gram packets that they had carried with them. Finally they had to leave with a crowd building up in expectation of food. They returned with the strong impression that there would be a huge need for food, rehabilitation and medical care in the times to come and SSM must continue to play a role by contributing their bit.

The SSM team also delivered dry rations to 22 families in Bhondsi, a village eight kms from Gurgaon towards Sohna. Most of the families were of construction workers from Orissa. When the distribution was done the previous time, there were 30 families in all – some have already moved back while others are planning to do so shortly. This was brought home sharply by BG Foundation members who had recently distributed rations in Jharsa where they had taken along a team of contractors who wanted to employ people. Most of the workers refused, saying they preferred to go back home as soon as they got confirmed reservations. Four more packets were distributed in Sector 56. A total of 25 cloth masks were also distributed in the area.

In NOIDA SSM volunteers procured 367 packages that they distributed over the 23^rd and 24^th of May. Of these, 170 packages were distributed in Sectors 92, 93 and 93b. In Sector 93, 18 of the 170 packages were distributed to people living on the pavements since they had been evicted from their homes. This cluster, which earlier had 35 families, had increased in number as some construction workers had been fired by contractors working for the NOIDA authority. The packages had to be halved in some houses. 22 dry ration packages were distributed in the containment zone in Sector 136, while another 15 were distributed in the containment zone of Sector 135 with the help of the police. In Yakubpur, another containment zone, 147 packages were distributed by the volunteers themselves since the police did not have enough personnel to manage on their own. Another 13 packages were distributed to the differently abled in Sector 48, where one of the families had driven in their hand operated rickshaw all the way home to Bareilly in UP.

While the volunteers were expecting a decline in the number of people in need of food, they have only increased across the area. The labourers who are in containment zones in Noida have not been allowed to leave. Mothers with infants are scared to sit in the designated buses as they have heard horror stories of deaths and accidents. They look to the volunteers with hope that they might have some solution to their predicament. Some are forced to beg for milk outside milk booths and shops in Noida. A young woman standing at one such booth awkwardly, cradling her infant in her arms, told a volunteer “Didi kabhi bheek nahi maangi, mehnat ki roti khaayi hai.” (We have never begged and always eaten only the fruits of our labour) She feels guilty taking milk for her child as she says there are more infants in her jhuggi cluster in need.

SSM DELHI NCR ACTIVITIES -WEEK SIX

Summary: This week’s activities for the Delhi NCR SSM team started with the distribution of dry rations in Gurugram and NOIDA for the sixth week running. It ended with the distribution of dry rations in the Kalinidi Kunj area in South Delhi, located near the banks of the river Yamuna near the Okhla barrage. While 300 food packages were distributed with the help of the BG Foundation to an equal number of families in Gurugram over the 11^th and 12^th of May, 250 families in NOIDA were served an equal number of dry ration packs for a week by Delhi-NCR SSM volunteers over the 14^th and 15^th of May. On the 17^th of May, Delhi-NCR SSM volunteers distributed 248 packets of dry rations for an equal number of families in the Kalindi Kunj area to communities of rag pickers, daily wagers and pavement dwellers. At least 500 washable and re-usable cloth masks were also distributed along with the rations in Kalindi Kunj. Another 100 cloth masks were distributed by an SSM volunteer in NOIDA, near the UP border to migrant labour lining up for cooked meals being distributed in the area. In central Delhi’s Karol Bagh, 70 cloth masks were distributed to patients lined up outside a mobile clinic in Dev Nagar as well as to residents in the adjoining Bapa Nagar slum cluster. While the team has been trying to frame a need-based response, it seems but a drop in the ocean given the widespread suffering visible everywhere and the requests for more help forthcoming from all quarters. Details Follow:

Dry Rations for 550 families in NOIDA and Gurugram:

The Delhi-NCR SSM team sent 300 packages of dry rations for an equal number of families in Gurugram for the sixth week running. The packages were distributed with the help of the BG Foundation to 33 families in Bhadshapur and seven families in Sushant Lok on the 11^th of May and to 180 families in Samaspur, 66 families in Kanhai village and 14 families in Chakkerpur on the 12^th of May.

In NOIDA, Delhi NCR SSM volunteers distributed 250 packages of dry rations in sectors 92,93,93b,85,136,135, Medicinal Park and Yakub Nagar with help of the police over the 14^th and 15^th of May. The last three sectors mentioned have been declared containment zones and the police has been calling the most affected families and a community of the differently abled from there to the chowki in Sector 85 for distribution. This time the Police requested an additional 146 ration packages for Sector 136 where none of the feeding vans or distribution trucks are being allowed, leaving those families with no recourse to any food or income.

Dry Rations for 248 families in Kalindi Kunj area in South Delhi:

The Kalindi Kunj area, bordering NOIDA alongside the Yamuna river and the Okhla barrage has been a sensitive zone, given its proximity to the Delhi-UP border. Movement has been quite restricted during the lockdown leading to paucity of food and income for daily wagers and migrant labour in the area. Delhi-NCR SSM Volunteers distributed 248 dry ration packages on the 17^th of May to communities of rag pickers, pavement dwellers, migrant labour and those most in need in the area with some difficulty since the administration was understandably strict about maintaining social distancing norms and avoiding crowding. While the team managed to distribute those packages following WHO norms with the help of the police, the need seemed much more with many people coming up to request tokens for fresh packages. A local volunteer handed over a list of 100 families to the team, saying they were also in dire straits. The team is considering how to take this forward.

Nearly 700 cloth Masks Distributed across Delhi-NCR:

While at least 500 washable, re-usable cloth masks were distributed with the ration packages to the 248 families in Kalindi Kunj area, another 100 were distributed by an SSM volunteer to daily wagers stuck in NOIDA on the UP border due to the lockdown, when they were lining up for food distribution near the Taj Expressway. Another 70 odd masks were distributed in Central Delhi’s Karol Bagh area by an SSM volunteer outside a mobile health clinic in Dev Nagar and in the adjoining slum cluster of Bapa Nagar.

SSM DELHI NCR ACTIVITIES-Week FIVE

Summary: Even as the lockdown was extended till May 17^th , the Delhi-NCR team continued to respond to urgent requests wherever they came up, whether they were for rations or for medical equipment or PPEs. The Medical Superintendent of the DeenDayal Upadhyaya Hospital, that has been declared a centre for COVID care, requested the team for non-sterile, disposable gloves for support staff that were in short supply in the market. They also wanted to replace 10 Oxy meters critical for detecting Covid complications. Ten thousand gloves and 10 Oxymetres were sourced and handed over to DDU personnel on the 4^th of May.

Distribution of dry rations at Lathira village of Garhmukteshwar District in Uttar Pradesh where TSF runs the Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya, happened for the second time in the school premises for 28 of the most affected families in the village on the 8^th of May.

In Zamrudpur Village, just outside of the Greater Kailash-1 Colony of the upper crust area of South Delhi, there was a request for dry rations from daily wage earners and migrant workers who had been laid off and had no source of income or food. The team distributed 20 dry ration packs to last for at least a week for an equal number of the most affected families on the 9^th of May.

The distribution of dry rations for daily wagers and migrant workers continued in NOIDA and Gurugram, with the numbers being upped in NOIDA yet again to include differently abled small vendors who sell varied items out of the special rickshaws provided to them by the government to facilitate their movement and livelihood. They had exhausted their savings and a settlement of 12 such families requested assistance from TSF.

While 300 ration packs were distributed in Gurugram with the assistance of the BG Foundation over the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th of May. TSF volunteers distributed the 243 packages to an equal number of families, including those of the differently abled vendors. The distribution, started on the 9^th of May was halted on the 10^thbecause of a severe dust storm and will be concluded on Monday, 11^th May.

TSF Volunteers in NOIDA also distributed 1,000 cloth masks to the families as well as to police personnel in the area. Details follow:

Non-Sterile Gloves and Oxy-meters for DDU Hospital:

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya(DDU) hospital in West Delhi, that has been declared a Covid care centre by the government, reached out to the team, with an urgent need for non-sterile disposable gloves for the use of support staff dedicated to COVID patients. Though the gloves are in short supply, the team managed to find a vendor who was able to source 10,000 such pieces. Finger Pulse Oxy meters used to measure oxygen levels in the blood, are being recommended for the early detection of ‘Covid pneumonia’, a potentially fatal complication seen among the most severe Coronavirus cases. DDU required these urgently as some of theirs had stopped functioning. The team sourced 10 such devices and handed them over to DDU representatives along with the gloves on the 4^th of May.

Dry Rations for 28 families for the 2^nd Week at CSVL in Lathira Village:

Twenty eight distressed families of landless share croppers, migrant labour and women-headed households, identified through a survey conducted by staff of the Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya run by the TSF Delhi-NCR team, were supplied dry rations for the second week running to take care of their basic necessities. While villagers go to the Public Distribution System shop in the adjacent village of Faridpur for wheat and rice normally, all other necessities like sugar, oil, masalas, salt, tea etc. are sourced from local village shops that have now been sealed. Dry ration packs comprising of lentils, masalas, cooking oil, salt, sugar, tea and soap were distributed to the 28 families on the 8^th of May within the school premises. The families expressed support for the school and said they would always remember the help that was forthcoming at a most difficult time of their lives. The school proposes to keep up the supplies till such time as Garhmukteshwar remains sealed.

Dry Rations for 20 Distressed Families in Zamrudpur Village, South Delhi:

Zamrudpur village near the high-end Greater Kailash-1 Colony is home to rickshaw pullers, domestic help and menial workers who provide services all over South Delhi. The team received a distress call from 20 families that have been worst hit by the lockdown within the village and have no access to income or food. While twelve of these families are headed by rickshaw pullers, eight comprise of migrants who have either been laid off or have no work as daily wagers. They have no means of travelling back to their villages either. The team distributed 20 dry ration packs, each comprising of 5kg wheat flour, 5kg rice, 1.5 kg lentils, 1kg salt, half litre oil and soap to tide over their needs on the 9^th of May.

Dry Rations for 543 families in the NCR and 1000 masks for NOIDA:

The regular distribution of dry rations for 300 families of daily wagers and migrant labour continued in Gurugram for the fifth week running with the support of the BG foundation over the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th of May. The areas covered this time included Saraswati Kunj where 150 packages of dry rations were distributed for as many families for a week on the 8^th of May. On the 9^th, 107 families received dry rations in Kanhai village, while the 10^th saw the distribution of 43 ration packs for as many families in Sector 53 for week five.

In NOIDA, to take care of the increasing demand, TSF this time procured 243 ration packs for distribution among an equal number of families in sectors 92, 93,93b, 85, 136 and Yakub Nagar. All distribution was done with the help of police and following WHO norms. The police informed the volunteers that since NOIDA is a red zone, no migrant labour was being allowed to leave. About 35 of those who had left for their native towns and villages were rounded up and brought back. But their jhuggies had in the meantime been demolished and they are currently living on the pavements, where our volunteers found one child suffering from dehydration. The volunteers have been receiving five to six calls a day for rations within the area. This time they additionally catered to a small cluster of 12 families of the differently abled who had run out both money and food since they could not ply their hand rickshaws in the red zone to vend cold drinks or paan masala or the other small goods they usually made their living from. TSF volunteers also distributed 1,000 cloth masks to the families as well as to police personnel in the stations helping with the distribution. The distribution happened over the 9^th and 10^th of May, when it had to be halted because of a huge dust storm. It will continue on the 11^th as well.

SSM DELHI NCR ACTIVITIES-Week FOUR

Summary: As week four of the COVID 19 nation-wide lockdown drew to a close with another two-week extension being announced, the Delhi NCR team continued to extend help on a need basis, often having to think on its feet to meet quickly developing situations. In NOIDA for instance, the police contacted our volunteers requesting assistance for an area adjoining our normal food distribution circuit that had been declared a containment zone and had no access to dry rations or cooked food. The volunteers quickly divided up the existing 195 ration packages according to the number of family members and were able to cover 55 more families in the containment zone. The distribution happened over 30^th April and the 1^st and 2^nd of May. The distribution of dry rations for 300 families in Gurugram with the help of the BG Foundation was concluded on the 27^th of April. The dry rations for the TALENT group to feed 500 homeless rickshaw pullers, daily wagers and pavement dwellers two meals a day for a week were also dispatched on the 27^th of April. On the 28^th of April, 28 ration packets were distributed to families in the TSF run Chanda Satsang Vidyalaya(CSVL) in Lathira village, Garhmukteshwar district of Uttar Pradesh. CSVL teachers had indicated that the villagers were in dire straits with local shops running out of rations and the villagers left with no money since there was no work available on surrounding farms due to the extended lockdown. The team also received a request from a community of dyers in the Shahpur Jat area, saying they were not able to access food provided by authorities in the community kitchen in what had been turned by residents into a voluntary containment zone because of their altered timings due to Ramzaan. The distribution of dry rations for the 65 dyers happened on May 2^nd. Meanwhile, on request from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of New Delhi, TSF, through its partner Centre for Holistic Development, was able to provide 50 reusable cloth masks. Another 50 such masks were provided to the tiny grocery shop that provides most of TSF Delhi- NCR supplies, adding its own contribution to the kitty! Details follow:

Dry Rations for 525 families in NOIDA and Gurugram:

Though the TSF Delhi-NCR team sent 195 packets for Sectors 92 and 93 in NOIDA like last time, this time as our volunteers were driving out to distribute, they were stopped by a police jeep from the Chowki in Sector 85 saying that their area was sealed as a containment zone and no food distribution was happening there. In fact, an eight-month pregnant woman with three children had committed suicide in desperation since she had no food and her husband was stuck in their village in Madhya Pradesh where he had gone just before the lockdown to fetch his mother-in-law. The volunteers thought on their feet, asked smaller families of two or three members to share the weekly rations which are meant for a family of five, and managed to distribute ration packets to a total of 225 families. Of these, 15 families were covered in Sector 135 and 22 families in Sector 136, both of which are right across the road from Sector 85, where 18 families were covered. The Police Chowki in Sector 85 called families from all three sectors to their station and managed the distribution in the containment zone with the help of our volunteers. The distribution in NOIDA took three days over 30^thApril and the 1^st and 2^nd of May.

In Gurugram, the regular number of 300 packets for as many families were distributed with the help of the BG Foundation on April 27th. This time the distribution happened in the following manner: Ram Chowk-50 packets, Saraswati Kunj-150 packets, Wazirabad - 70 packets, Sector 43- 30 packets. Total:- 300 Families/Packets

Dry rations for a Group of 65 Dyers in Shahpur Jat:

Dry rations were provided on request for a group of 65 dyers in Shahpur Jat, a congested area sealed by the local Residents Welfare Association as a precaution to prevent the entry of COVID 19. While the authorities run a community kitchen in the area, the meals often run out by the time the community gets their turn in the line during this month of fasting and prayer of Ramzaan. Also, the food does not keep in the heat for the morning Sehri. This was a one-time request that the team decided to comply with so that the dyers do not have to go hungry this month. The distribution happened on the 2^nd of May.

Food and Dry Rations for 28 families for a week in Lathira village, Garhmukteshwar:

In Lathira village of Uttar Pradesh where TSF runs the Chandra Satsang Vidyalaya, the villagers managed the first few weeks of the lockdown on reserves. But the extension of lockdown resulted in hardships with food stocks running low and no work on farms or other areas to earn their living. The teachers at our school requested dry rations be provided to villagers on a need basis. Some supplies were sourced from the school kitchen, while others had to be sourced from a grocery store some distance away as stocks were depleted in the village fair price shops. The teachers called people from 28 families to the school on the 28^th of April to distribute the rations.

Dry Rations for two meals a day for 500 homeless rikshaw pullers, pavement dwellers and daily wagers around Old Delhi and New Delhi Railway Station:

TSF Delhi-NCR provided dry rations for the community kitchen run by the TALENT (Team Association Learning Education Natural Theatre) group to distribute two meals a day to 500 homeless rickshaw pullers, pavement dwellers and daily wagers in and around the Old city as well as within and just outside the premises of the New Delhi Railway station. The areas covered this time were New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Chawri Bazaar, NaiSarak, G B Road and Asaf Ali Road. The rations were delivered on 27^th April and the food was distributed over the week ending May 3. Talent once again expressed appreciation for the quality of the rations provided, particularly the rice. They said they had extended their service to four meals a day in certain areas to accommodate the people who were fasting during Ramzaan.

Hundred Cloth Masks distributed in the New Delhi area:

On request, 50 washable and reusable cloth masks were provided to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, New Delhi area by TSF Delhi-NCR through its partner, the Centre for Holistic Development, on April 29th. Another 50 cloth masks were provided on May 3^rdto the tiny ration shop in Karol Bagh, New Delhi that provides most of the dry rations that TSF distributes at very reasonable rates with the shop’s own contribution thrown in as well!

SSM DELHI NCR ACTIVITIES-Week THREE

The Delhi-NCR team exponentially increased the scope of their food and PPE distribution activities in the third week, trying to keep up with the growing needs on the ground. The Talent group, for whom dry rations for a week had been sent on April 19^th, cooked and distributed food from their community kitchen covering two meals a day for 500 homeless Rikshaw Pullers, Pavement Dwellers and Daily Wagers in parts of the old city as well as in and around the New Delhi Railway Station from April 20^th to April 26^th. The whole of Delhi having been declared a red zone, PPEs for police personnel, specially those working in hot spots, emerged as a priority. On request from the DCP, North Delhi police, the team handed over 100 PPE suits comprising of six pieces of equipment each for their personnel who work in one of the most densely populated areas of the city on April 22^nd. Also, on April 22^nd, 5,000 more cloth masks sourced from export surplus material and stitched by tailors who were left with no work during the lock-down, were distributed to homeless shelters across Delhi with the help of the Centre for Holistic Development. Over 22^nd, 23^rdand 24^thApril, the regular supply of dry rations was distributed to 495 families in NOIDA and Gurugram, the number being increased in NOIDA because of the large number of migrant workers who turned up the previous week saying they had no source of food or income. Dry rations for 300 families for a week were also procured and sent on April 23^rd to the Sangam Vihar area of South Delhi, most of which has been sealed and declared a containment zone. The food distribution began on April 24^th and will continue for two days thereafter. Details follow:

Food Distribution in the Old City Area and New Delhi Railway Station Area:

Dry rations that had been supplied to the community kitchen run by the TALENT group on April 19^th, were cooked and distributed by them from April 20^th to 26^th to homeless rickshaw pullers, pavement dwellers and daily wagers in the Old City as well as in and around the New Delhi Railway station. A thousand meals each day for lunch and dinner were provided in the Old Delhi Civic Centre area, New Delhi Railway Station, Minto Road, Mata Sundari Road, LNJP colony area slum, DeenDayal Upadhyaya road, and Delight Cinema road for a week. The kitchen workers said the rations were fresh and of very good quality, helping them cook food that the recipients appreciated as being as good as home-cooked meals.

100 PPE Kits for the North District Delhi Police Office:

Even as the whole of Delhi was declared a Red Zone, the DCP, North District Police Office requested the team for PPE kits for their personnel. Bound by the river Yamuna in the east, North Delhi with its three subdivisions of Civil Lines, Kotwali and Sadar Bazaar, is one of the most densely populated areas in the city with a large number of daily wagers working in wholesale markets and Mandis. In case of any emergency, only police can enter COVID hotspots, making them very vulnerable to infection. The team sourced a hundred 70 GSM PPE suits with six pieces of equipment each and handed them over to personnel from the North District Police office on the 22^nd of April.

Five Thousand Cloth Masks for Night Shelters across Delhi:

Sourcing 5,000 more masks made from export surplus material by tailors rendered out of work because of the lockdown, the Delhi-NCR team handed them over to the Centre of Holistic Development run by a Satsangi for distribution to homeless daily wagers and migrant labourers in night shelters across the city.

Dry Rations for 495 families in NOIDA and Gurugram for the week:

The dry rations provided on a regular basis to NOIDA and Gurugram were distributed over the 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th of April in both places. The number of families provided for in NOIDA were increased to 195 from 170, given that so many more approached TSF volunteers for food when they were distributing last time. Three hundred families in Gurugram received weekly rations with the help of the BG Foundation in the following areas: Sanjay Colony-135 Families, Wazirabad-8 Families, Samaspur-157.

Dry rations for 300 families in Sangam Vihar:

Dry rations for 300 families of an average of five persons each were provided in the Sangam Vihar area of South Delhi, a large part of which has been sealed as a containment zone. When the distribution started on April 24^th, many more people other than the residents earmarked before with the help of ID cards, turned up asking for food. The distribution is still on and the team is considering what can be done for the additional people who have no identity cards in the area.

SSM DELHI NCR ACTIVITIES-Week TWO

As COVID 19 spread its tentacles further, the Delhi-NCR team re-strategised to get dry rations for the week across to the 470 families in NOIDA and Gurugram, given deepening restrictions on movement. As a result, the distribution happened on the 17^th of April in both places. Further requests for masks were received from hospitals looking after COVID patients and the team managed to get across 12,000 masks to AIIMS, Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital as well as the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital in West Delhi on the 16^th and 17^th of April. Meanwhile, the Delhi Government made it compulsory for all venturing out to wear masks, so the team sourced 5,000 stitched cloth masks that are washable and reusable for distribution across homeless shelters with the help of the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD). The first distribution happened on April 18^th, with the CHD team also informing recipients about their proper usage. The team also received a request for dry rations to feed 500 homeless rickshaw pullers two meals a day in the Minto Bridge – Ajmeri Gate area in collaboration with a community-based organization, TALENT. The first consignment was dispatched on the morning of 19^th April. Details follow:

Dry Rations for 470 families for Second week:

After the extension of the countrywide lockdown till May 3^rd, a second set of dry rations was distributed in NOIDA for the cluster of 70 jhuggis in Sector 92 and another cluster of 100 jhuggis in Sector 93 on 17^th April, 2020. Two Satsangis personally supervised the distribution done with the help of police personnel. They were intensely moved by the fact that hunger was bringing people out on the streets looking for food and that they did not have enough packages to provide for all. They managed to procure 50 additional food packages from their own resources to distribute in addition to ones already provided by TSF.

In Gurugram, TSF Delhi provided dry rations for the second week for 300 families in collaboration with the BG Foundation on 17^th April, 2020 in the following areas:

(Ram Chowk-18 Families, Saraswati Kunj, Sector 53 -200 Families, Sector 43- 30 Families, Wazirabad, Sector 52- 20 Families, SHO, Sector 56- 04 Families, DLF Phase- 02 Families, Samaspur, Sector 51- 18 Families, Chakarpur, Sector 28- 08 Families : Total 300 Families)

5,000 Reusable Cloth Masks for Night Shelters for the Homeless Across Delhi:

Given the rapid spread of the pandemic, the Delhi government has made it compulsory for everyone to wear masks while stepping out. Consequently, the Delhi-NCR team sourced 5,000 reusable, washable cloth masks and is distributing them to night shelters for the homeless across town with the help of the Centre for Holistic Development. The distribution started on the 18^th of April, with the CHD team also demonstrating their proper usage

12,000 Three Ply Masks for Hospital Staff and Patients :

The Director All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Director Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital and the Medical Superintendent, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital – all in the forefront of the battle against coronavirus in the capital city - requested TSF for more three ply masks for healthcare workers and vulnerable patients. Four thousand masks each for all three hospitals were dispatched and received by them over 16^th and 17^th of April. Each of the hospitals has written letters of gratitude for the much-needed supplies.

SSM DELHI NCR ACTIVITIES-WEEK ONE

Provisions for 8000 at Yamuna Pushta:

Taking ahead Sri M’s objective of service to the needy, TSF Delhi Kendra found the distressing times an opportunity to help.

The daily wage workers at “Yamuna Pushta Shelter for the Homeless “ needed basic supplies like rice, dal and potatoes. Without their daily wage, they were on the verge of starvation.

Soon after the lockdown was announced the government was opening free food points all over Delhi, however they were over-crowded and unable to cope with the need. TSF Delhi Kendra decided to contribute dry rations to feed the homeless.

The rations were used to feed 17 to 18 shifts of 500 people each on 27th-29th March ( i.e. 8000 people approximately).

4200 Masks (N95 + Three Ply) Provided to AIIMS & GTB Hospital Staff & Patients:

TSF Delhi discovered that there was an urgent need for Personal Protection Equipment in the form of masks for Doctors, front line workers and vulnerable patients in top national hospitals. On 6th April 2020, TSF Delhi Kendra members handed over:

100 N95 Masks & 1800 regular three ply mask pieces to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Additional 100 N95 Masks and 1800 regular three ply masks to the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital
400 regular three ply masks to cancer patients staying at the night shelter outside AIIMS.

The Director of AIIMS, Dr. Randeep Guleria, took time off his busy schedule, to pen a touching note acknowledging the donation, saying, "It will help us at AIIMS to fulfill our mission of patient care in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic".

Week's Worth of Dry Rations supplied to 470 Families:

TSF Delhi distributed dry rations for a week to 470 families of migrant construction workers and daily wagers in distress in NOIDA and Gurugram on April 8th and 9th, 2020. This was done with the help of the administration in both places and in collaboration with the BG Foundation in Gurugram.

A few days into the lockdown declared by the government, a number of migrant construction workers appeared before the gated colony of a member of the Satsang Foundation in NOIDA, saying they hadn't eaten for a number of days. She cooked for all of them and fed a jhuggi cluster of 15 families. Upon informing TSF of their plight, dry rations for a week were organised for them and for an adjoining cluster of 55 families in Sector 92, who were equally hungry. Another cluster of 100 families in Sector 93 were also in the same situation, having no access to food or rations, taking it to a total of 170 families with an average of five persons per family.

In Gurugram, the BG Foundation, a non profit initiative runs learning centers for children in the slums of Shamaspur, Tigra and Jharsa villages. The village communities comprise mainly of daily wagers and migrant labour, all of whom the BG Foundation has pledged to provide food for for the duration of the lockdown. They approached TSF Delhi for assistance through common members and TSF agreed to provide 300 packages of dry rations for two meals per day per week to them for distribution at multiple points. The distribution was effected with assistance from the administration's Civil Defence Team and Red Cross Volunteers. The details are as follows:

Distribution on 8/4/2020 in Gurugram

Ram Chowk 25

Sector 40 49

Silokra 25

Sector 56 105

Ardee City 12

Total ------> 216

Distribution on 9/4/2020 in Gurugram

Khandsa 39

Silokra 40

Sushant Lok 5

Total ------> 84

Distribution in Noida

Sector 92 70

Sector 93 100

Total ------> 170

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