Helping more than a thousand families hit by cyclone Nisarga in Maharashtra (video, photos)

by Nirmala Carvalho

Fr Pascal Sinor has helped 250 families in his parish and about a thousand more in 13 tribal villages. Migrants, slum dwellers, day labourers and seniors are the main beneficiaries. Aid includes clothing and roofing material. The clergyman has been helping locals for 25 years.

Alibaug (AsiaNews) - For the past week, Fr Pascal Sinor, pastor at the Mary of Nazareth Parish in Alibaug, Raighad district (Maharashtra), has been busy helping people affected by cyclone Nisarga.

Thanks to his action, some 250 families in his parish, and about a thousand families in 13 neighbouring tribal villages, have received food rations.

Nisarga lashed western India on 1-4 June, causing widespread damage in the Raighad area, tearing down homes, devastating farms, and felling electrical poles and trees.

“We are helping the most vulnerable people, especially those who were already struggling with the coronavirus lockdown,” Fr Sinor told AsiaNews. “Aid went to tribal people, migrants, slum dwellers, day labourers and seniors.”

With the help of the Centre for Social Action, in addition to food, Fr Sinor was able to provide roofing material for 40 houses. Tribal families obtained clothing thanks to the Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust.

Fr Sinor has been working with Raighad residents for 25 years. “We promote educational programmes, mutual aid groups and actions in support of human rights. We also help the local poor with red tape to obtain ration cards.”