Kerala, Aug 9: Harini Sri, a 13-year-old from Tamil Nadu, performed Bharatanatyam for three consecutive hours to raise funds for the victims of the catastrophic Wayanad landslides in Kerala, which claimed over 300 lives last week. On Thursday, she donated ₹15,000, including her own savings, to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). Harini also met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought his blessings.
Taking to its official handle on X, the Information Public Relations (IPRD), Kerala government posted, “A 13-year-old girl child from Tamil Nadu, Harini Sri, performed Bharatanatyam for 3 hours straight to raise funds for the Wayanad landslide to #standwithwayanad. She donated Rs15,000, including her savings, to CMDRF.”
In a video shared by the Kerala government, Harini was shown presenting her donation to the chief minister and sharing footage of her performance, which she used to raise the funds. Vijayan can be seen blessing her and gently tapping her on the head.
Wayanad landslides claimed more than 300 lives
Massive landslides struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Kerala’s Wayanad on July 30, resulting in over 300 deaths and extensive property damage.
A large-scale search operation commenced on Friday, involving both survivors and the victims’ relatives, to locate those still missing following the devastating landslides.
The state government said that 131 individuals remain unaccounted for in the areas affected by the landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala.
The search operation, initially planned to last a full day, was cut short and set to conclude at 11 am. This adjustment was made to prepare the area for the Special Protection Group (SPG) ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit on Saturday.
Four representatives from each relief camp were brought in to help rescue teams with identifying locations and areas.
The Wayanad district administration organized a farewell for the Indian Army personnel who participated in the rescue and search efforts in the landslide-affected regions of Kerala’s Wayanad.
As the Indian Army concluded its ten-day rescue mission, the operation will be handed over to the NDRF, SDRF, Fire Force, and Kerala police.
A battalion of around 500 Indian Army members from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Bengaluru is preparing to return.
The maintenance team for the Bailey Bridge, which was temporarily built by the Indian Army, will remain on-site.
Indian Air Force helicopters are currently assisting in the search efforts. Since the disaster struck Wayanad on July 30, helicopters have airlifted over 700 kg of relief supplies, 8 civilians, and Special Operations Group teams.
