HYDERABAD, Oct 10: There has been an overwhelming response in the city to calls for donations for earthquake-affected people of the upcountry. Donations in cash and kinds are pouring in at various relief and goods collection camps set up by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), Police and the Dawoodi Bohra community.

The despatch of the goods has started through air service and road network.

Common people and philanthropists have been donating wholeheartedly at almost all the camps where volunteers are receiving goods almost round the clock.

The MQM established nine camps in different points of the city and Latifabad such as Latifabad-7, Bhittai hospital chowk, Khuda Hafiz board, Sabzi Mandi, Fakir-Jo-Pir, Phuleli Tonga stand, Hirabad, Liberty chowk, Tilak in-cline and at Khidmat Khalq Foundation (KKF) office.

The Pakistan Rangers set up their camp in Wahdat colony, city gate hotel chowk and Latifabad-7.

Huge quantities of relief goods are seen at camps whose transportation began on Monday.

Besides, beddings and blankets, people are handsomely donating packets of sugar, powder milk, ghee, flour, pulses of different weights.

Medicines have also been collected as well for the earthquake victims.

The goods which were being sent by road are being covered properly in order to save them from rains which were reported in areas of the NWFP.

MQM’s zonal in-charge Siraj Rajput said that a batch of 50 MQM workers had reached Islamabad and the NWFP besides a 12-member team of party’s medial aid wing.

The doctors will report at the central camp of MQM in Islamabad where MQM coordination committee leadership is also present.

“Around 2,000 blankets were sent yesterday and another quantity of 2,000 blankets besides materials including milk, ghee, sugar, flour and other items are being sent by road on Monday night”, he said.

He said that these goods would be transported in five containers.

Hyderabad Region police have set up around 50-60 camps in Hyderabad, Badin, Sanghar, Thatta, Jamshoro, Dadu, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan and Matiari.

Camps are set up in almost every taluka of the district.

Officers and low-ranking policemen of the region donated their one-day salary which amounted to around Rs300,000.

The Hyderabad region police first intended to send the collected goods through six rail coaches but now the same are being sent to the PAF Faisal Base in Karachi wherefrom they would be taken by air.

The railway authorities were charging around Rs30,000 for the six coaches.

RPO Bachal Sangri said the police had in fact facilitated people in despatching their donation to affected people in Islamabad in a responsible manner.

“Police authorities decided to purchase blankets out of the donated amount of one day salary as well as the cash given by some philanthropists”, said AIG Fida Hussain Mastoi.

Around 25 trucks loaded of goods will be despatched to Karachi on Monday.

They have been stationed at the Bhittai Nagar police station where the RPO inspected the goods.

He said each truck carries goods of Rs500,000 which brings the overall cost of goods to Rs12.5 million.

He disclosed that around 68,000kg flour, 20,000kg sugar were collected.

Other items included soap, blankets and drugs.

The Saifya Jamaat also set up a camp in Saddar where the Bohri community people are donating blood and other items.

The Army officials also collected materials in the Cantonment area whereas Rangers were present in all the four camps to receive donated goods.

The president of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Masood Pervez, said he had called a meeting of the executive committee and expressed the hope that HCCI would make donation of over Rs2 million for the earthquake victims.

He said the meeting would decide the mode and despatch of donations.

The director-general of the Sindh health services, Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi, told newsmen at a briefing that a cell had been established in the directorate office whose telephone numbers have been provided to the health officials in Islamabad, the NWFP and other areas and they could send their demand for drugs or any kind of help which would be ensured at all cost.

He said he had talked to the DG health services, NWFP, who needed medicines for earthquake victims.

He said donations could be made at the directorate and that coffin cloth was also being sent besides first aid medicines.