IANS | New Delhi
Actress Raveena Tandon says she is disturbed by the oxygen shortage in the capital amid the second wave of Covid, and has taken it upon herself to send oxygen cylinders to the city.
Raveena has started an initiative called Oxygen Seva On The Wheels Mumbai To Delhi, where she is sending oxygen cylinders through her non-profit organisation, Rudra Foundation to the Capital.
“Just look around you, how can what’s happening not need you to do something, instead of just sitting and tweeting about it. As you can see, Delhi is almost gasping for breath, and this is the initiative a few likeminded people along with me decided to take up,” Raveena told IANS.
The actress says they are reaching out to those who are well-off for funding, and acknowledges the cooperation of Chintu Kwatra and Khushiyan Foundation.
“I have dispersed a lot of 300 cylinders and for the rest, we are trying to generate funds from likeminded people, whether it is our friends or anyone who has extra money. We are not pressuring people, the common man to come forward and donate. At this moment, everyone needs to save for emergency that they might face. But yes, we are reaching out to people who can make a difference and asking them to chip in,” she says.
Not only shortage of oxygen, but people are also being forced to pay exorbitant prices for medical necessities. Talking about the same, the actress says: “Be it ambulances or hospitals, oxygen, oximeters, concentrators, the amount of money being charged is ridiculous. People in dire need of these things are desperate, anything to save their near and dear ones, and are shelling out their life’s savings. What can I say about these people taking advantage of the needy at the moment?” she says.
However, she adds that she has also been a lot of support for her initiative. “Many of my family members have chipped in, my extended family, cousins, like-minded friends, people have called me from various places and it is an initiative that is being supported by a lot of people,” she says.
Raveena adds that she is making sure to deliver the oxygen to the right people, so that it can go to those who need it, free of cost.
“What we are doing is a drop in the ocean of what is required, but the fact is that we have tied up with people where we know for sure this will go free of cost to the needy. We have tied up with DCP South Delhi, the police, and we are handing over a part of the lot that is going now. Then we are giving Radha Soami Satsang Beas cylinders because they have a centre at Chattarpur, which is free of cost. We are giving part of it to the army and another NGO, which has tied up with us. We are going through Twitter and verifying whoever is most needy at that time and sending cylinders there. It’s a personal one- to -one thing that we are doing,” she says.
