A couple of days ago when Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Village and Ward Volunteers system in the city the volunteers who were just given handbooks and identity cards probably couldn’t have expected what would be their first assignment.
A day later, most of the ward volunteers in the city have found themselves serving in flood-affected areas by alerting people on safety aspects on behalf of the authorities, distributing food at relief camps, helping people in evacuation and other relief activities.
With the number of flood victims going up, the authorities have roped in more volunteers to take up relief activities.
“It was exciting to become a part of the government and just when we were thinking about the responsibilities we would be given, the officials called us in to work with them in the flood-affected areas. We are going door to door to check if there are any persons left out in the marooned houses,” said D. Saidamma at Bhupeshgupta Nagar of the 15th municipal ward.
The volunteers are also aiding officials in distribution of food packets, water packets, medicines and other material at the relief camps.
In all, the city has 3,311 volunteers and a majority of them have been drafted for relief work.