New Delhi: With the aim of feeding the poor and destitute, the Delhi government has launched a food bank in the city. The arrangement is the first of its kind in the country where on the one hand many go hungry and on the other, loads of food is wasted at parties and marriages.
The food bank will store excess food donated by people. It could be in the form of grains, pulses, spices and oil or cooked. The food would then be sent to those in need.
An initiative of Indian Food Banking Network (IFBN), it will be made available to shelter homes, old age homes and other such places with the mission of feeding the poor.
Inaugurating the Food Bank website, Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit said, “Our earlier similar initiatives failed due to lack of co-ordination and manpower. But now we are signing a memorandum of understanding with the IFBN to make the bank functional along with providing a helpline number.”
To make food donations, all one has to do is send an SMS to the helpline number 5888, after which the bank will contact its logistics partner to pick up the donated food products and deliver it to its warehouse.
In case one wants food, the same toll free helpline number can be used. The bank will send a vehicle to the place where food is required.
A food bank official said, “As a start, two warehouses have been set up by IFBN in Greater Kailash and Gurgaon, to store the donations. The concept is to connect those who have surplus food and others who have a deficit of it.”
NGOs and community groups that work for the poor are being roped in and will be able to access the services conveniently.
“It is both shameful and painful for any nation to find its destitute feeding from dustbins for survival. We believe that our shared capabilities will make headway and serve the purpose of feeding and providing nutrition to the poor,” the official said.
Sam Pitroda, adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Publication Information Infrastructure and Innovations, proposed the idea after discussions with the Global Food Banking Network in Chicago, USA. The project will soon be extended to other Indian cities including Mumbai and Kolkata.
According to the food bank official, such food banks are operational in more than 30 countries. “The journey is towards eliminating the problem of people going hungry by 2020,” he maintained.
