300 volunteers join hands with police to help distressed people in J-K's Kathua amid lockdown

Three-hundred volunteers have joined hands with the police to deliver essential supplies to the people in distress in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district amid the lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus.

Amid the lockdown, strict restrictions has been imposed in Kathua, where the biggest quarantine centre in the union territory has been set up, housing 3,000 people.

The group -- 'United Kathua volunteers' -- has set up a control room where it has received nearly 100 calls on the very first day of operation for delivery of medicines, ration and food to labourers.

"We are happy to start a group of volunteers to reach out to the people in distress. We will provide them all type of help and deliver all items to their doorstep as they are unable to come out due to the lockdown," Rakesh Kumar, a volunteer of United Kathua Volunteers told PTI.

"The youth have come together to setup a committee to lend all type of help to the people of distress, migrant labourers, and others. Police and administration is supporting it", SSP Kathua Shailendra Kumar said.

Giving details, he said the team has a helpline number and once a call comes, the details are transferred to a volunteer, who is close to that area.

The data of volunteers of each ward and locality is with the team and their GPS locations is shared with control room here. It is matched and the call details transferred to the volunteer, he said.

Police have also provided training to all the volunteers in this regard.

"A volunteer has to go to a particular home of the caller, take orders of supplies including ration or medicines needed by them. They will go to shop, purchase it and deliver it to the caller," he said.

The volunteers also look for migrant labourers and workers in the shanties and provide them food after collecting the cooked items from police kitchens, he said.

"Any one can call, send a message, whats app on this number - 9540501414. The team will facilitate them ambulances, medicines and other items, which is not available in Kathua", Kumar said.