Around 4,000 families of the regions surrounding পিয়ালি/piẏāli (Piyali) — including but not limited to বারুইপুর থানা ও বারুইপুর ব্লকের চম্পাহাটি গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েত (baruipur block, cômpāhāŧi grām pôñcāẏēt under the baruipur police station) an জীবনতলা থানার ক্যানিং-১ ব্লক (cẏaniŋ-1 block under the jībontôlā police station) — in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal are from the economically weaker section of the society.
The people living in the village are mostly employed in the unorganized sector, mostly as daily labourers or domestic workers. The villagers seek out work mostly in nearby areas of কলকাতা/kolkātā (Kolkata) by local train journey of an hour. Since the lockdown, there has been severe dearth of opportunities in the labour markets. Getting continuous work has been difficult and as a result, the villagers have lost their livelihood. To make situations worse, local train service plying between Piyali and Kolkata (Sealdah Station) are presently paused.
Starting from the lockdown in 2020 until now, we have been providing them with food items — rice, pulses, potatoes, soyabean, cooking oil, salt, biscuits; baby food; soap, sanitiser, and other essential items.
The second wave of COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire. There has been no help so far from government. We are trying our best to help the affected people, however, we are running short on funds. We urge you to spread the word and contribute generously.
Prantik Sundarban Welfare Association 