Mathura residents collect Rs 30 lakh for Nepal quake victims

MATHURA: In a joint effort, the residents, government employees and philanthropists here collected around Rs 30 lakh in a day to help those affected by the large scale destruction caused by earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April.

Over Rs 10 lakh were raised from the salary donated by government employees and some money was given by the residents, Additional District Magistrate Dhirendra Sachan said.

"The response on the first day is very encouraging," he said.

The Chancellor of GLA university, Narayan Das Agrawal, has donated Rs 17 lakh to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the earthquake victims from the district.

An NGO, Vatsalya Gram, has decided to rehabilitate one thousand families affected by earthquake.

"We have decided to rehabilitate one thousand families. In the first lot, five thousand blanket, two tonnes each of gram, jaggery and Murmura (parched rice) has been sent," Co-founder of the NGO, Sadhvi Ritambhara said.

The second lot would be sent soon, she said, adding, "We have also decided to help orphan children hit by the calamity".