Bhubaneswar: Travelling through waterlogged roads and navigating remote villages by boat in Assam’s flood-ravaged hinterlands, Bhubaneswar-based Raunak Singh is carrying more than relief supplies for the victims — hope to the families who have lost their homes and livelihoods.For nearly a week, Singh and his team of nine volunteers from Odisha have been reaching some of the worst-hit areas with essential aid. The immediate priority is to ensure access to food, medicines and other necessities.The 28-year-old says the floods seem to have set Assam back by 10 years. “There is massive destruction everywhere. It is even worse than the Punjab floods last year. We have decided to continue our work long after the floodwaters recede. Over the next six to seven months, we want to help families repair what they have lost and rebuild their livelihoods in whatever way possible,” he says.Currently, Singh and his team are travelling by boat to marooned villages, distributing dry rations, medicines, mosquito nets and mattresses. According to him, the situation continues to worsen as heavy rainfall every night hampers relief operations.The entire operation is being sustained through donations from Good Samaritans across the country, with social media playing a crucial role in mobilising support and connecting the team with donors.The Assam mission comes barely days after Singh and his volunteers served free meals to lakhs of devotees during Puri’s Rath Yatra.An alumnus of Utkal University, Singh’s commitment to humanitarian service took shape during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the height of the oxygen crisis, he and a group of friends helped patients in home isolation across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. What began as an emergency response soon evolved into a sustained volunteer movement.Since then, scores of young people have joined him, inspired by the spirit of ‘seva’, selfless service without expectation of reward. Together, they have responded to humanitarian crises across the country.“As I belong to a Sikh family, ‘seva’ has always been a part of my life. During Covid, we decided to help people with oxygen, and since then there has been no looking back,” Singh says.Years of responding to disasters have also made the team better prepared. “Earlier, we couldn’t respond immediately because our team was small. Today, we have 20 to 25 trained volunteers who are equipped to respond quickly to natural disasters,” he says.
