Nepal quake: UP exhorts NGOs for relief efforts

State govt further urges people to donate to Chief Minister's Relief Fund

Uttar Pradesh government has exhorted non government organisations (NGO) and individuals to help in the Nepal earthquake crisis, which has killed and displaced several thousands of people.

The state government has further urged the people to donate to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to support the ongoing relief measures in the Himalayan kingdom.

Several NGOs are already in touch with the government to chip in with relief supplies in this hour of crisis, while the state is coordinating with Nepal to transfer such consignments.

UP has so far dispatched about 360 truck loads of relief material comprising food items, medicines, tents etc to Nepal, which shares a long international border with UP apart from ancient trade links. The relief items also include bottled water, blankets, torches, solar lanterns etc.

Earlier, a team of doctors and ambulances from the multi specialty King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow had been deployed for urgent medical care.

So far, over 20,000 people have arrived from Nepal into the camps set up at Gorakhpur district by 215 state run buses and other modes of transport. Of these, over 11,000 people have been sent on the onward journey to their final destination.

About 100 additional buses would be sent to Nepal for ferrying back people.

The state government had been prompt in providing relief to Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks that started in the morning of April 25, 2015.

The aftershocks were felt in UP and several other bordering states, killing several people in India and damaging properties.

The state government is running a facility in Gorakhpur University to convert Nepali currency to Indian Rupee for the ease of transactions.