Help for Melghat tribals

MUMBAI, June 17: A Team of volunteers are preparing to help prevent starvation deaths among the children of Melghat tribals. A voluntary group `Melghat Mitra’ is organising teams of volunteers from the state between July 1 and October 1. Over 300 volunteers will be stationed in seven remote villages to co-ordinate with the nearest public health centre.

According to Baliram Balsaraf, resource person, Sampark, in charge of Melghat Mitra in the city, there are approximately 350 villages in the two talukas of Dharni and Chikhaldara of Amravati. Of these more than 100 villages suffer from malnutrition and 50 of them become critical during the monsoons. The NGO will station two volunteers for a period of seven days in every village for a seven-day period.

He added that Sampark is looking for volunteers with experience in trekking and river crossing so that villages which are cut-off during the rains are accessed. According to Balsaraf people from a cross-section of society have enrolled for voluntary work. He adds that efforts are on to recruit more volunteers for conducting relief work at Melghat. Further details may be had from Sampark, 2nd floor, West Khetwadi BMC School no 1, Opp Khetwadi 5th lane, Girgaon, Mumbai 400 004. Phone: 3890092.