Commuters try to dodge the rain on Thursday. Picture by UB Photos

July 5: Help those who have been devastated by the recent spate of floods.

With this message, a group of city-based musicians, under the banner Xodou Guwahati Sangeet Xilpi Santha, will visit different places of the city tomorrow on a truck urging people to help the flood-affected people. Playing songs like Luitor bolia baan and Manuhe manuhor babe of Bhupen Hazarika and another song of Jayanta Hazarika, the group will travel around the city tomorrow and Saturday.

“All sorts of help are welcome. People can donate cash, clothes, medicines or food materials for the flood-affected people. Right now we are thinking of helping the flood-hit people of Morigaon district only. If we have enough relief materials, we will also help the other flood-affected districts,” said Bipul Barua, a coordinating member of the organisation. He added that they would take help of the district administrations to distribute the materials among the flood-affected people.

The recent spate of flood is one of most the devastating ones that the state has witnessed so far. More than 70 people lost their lives in the flood and countless became homeless. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited the state to take stock of the situation recently and offered Rs 500 crore which many organisations believe is inadequate to meet the crisis.

Following an idea of singer Jayanta Hazarika, the musical group has decided to form the xur bahini, a musical brigade, committed to work for the poor and assist the flood-affected people.

The team was supposed to start their two-day programme from today but the death of poet Hiren Bhattacharjya prompted them to postpone the programme for a day. The programme will start at 10am tomorrow.

Kamal Kataky, secretary of the organisation who was a close associate of Bhupen Hazarika, said the xur bahini will start from Latasil tomorrow at 10am and stop near Panbazar BSNL office, Kamarpatty, Jail Road, Bharalumukh, Maligaon Chariali and Pandu. After returning from Pandu, the team will stop at Paltan Bazar ASTC bus station under Ulubari flyover in front of B. Borooah College, Gauhati Club and end its journey at Chandmari.

On Saturday, after starting its journey from Latasil, the xur bahini will visit Silpukhuri, Chandmari, Noonmati, Narengi, Zoo Tiniali, Ganeshguri, Dispur Ganesh Temple, Survey, Beltala tiniali, Basistha Chariali. Then it will return and stop at Khanapara, under the flyover at Six Mile, Down Town, Last Gate, near Dispur SBI branch, ABC point, Bhangagarh and end at Rajgarh.