calendar_month
Nov 10, 2026
lan
Relief-Activities
𝟯,𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝘀. 𝟱𝟲,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀. 48 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀. 𝟳 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀. 𝟰 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀. That is what it took to reach families hit by Cyclone Arnab, and most of it happened where no camera was watching.
When a family receives a relief kit, that is the moment people see. What they rarely see is everything before it. Our groceries reached Yanam on 1 November, and our volunteers began packing the very next morning. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟭𝟲 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲, from rice and dal to mosquito nets and ORS. Trucks were loaded through the night and driven along lanes in Konaseema still blocked by fallen trees and broken poles. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀.
From 7 to 10 November, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗿. 𝗕.𝗥. 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗸𝗮𝗿 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁: fishermen who lost their nets, labourers who lost their wages, and single women and elders who returned to broken homes.
𝗡𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 Infosys Foundation. That one decision let us place orders, mobilise volunteers and book vehicles while families still needed help most. 𝗜𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 guide that.
Heartfelt thanks to the Infosys Foundation team, Sri Maheshkumar B ji and Sri Kishore Kumar Konchada PMP® ji. And to every volunteer who packed, loaded and walked those damaged roads, you are the quiet heroes of this work. My dear twins Adithya Krishna Vedamtham & Sumanth Vallala
If you have worked in disaster response, what was the hardest part for your team?
