“Ashray- Our New Home”
After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami which disrupted the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Shekhar Mehta got deeply involved in the Disaster Management activities in a humungous manner . During the Tsunami, the biggest relief construction activity was implemented in Andaman and Nicobar Islands organized by Shekhar Mehta vide the Rotary banner, ‘Together We Will.’
Shekhar Mehta, a builder by profession heading the Skyline Group of Companies, facilitated to build nearly 500 homes for families affected by the disaster. He reminiscences having sent scores of messages requesting for relief materials and donations to Calcuttans ( people of his home city Kolkata. India) . The response was unbelievable. More than 50,000 kilos of relief material was received at his residence, later shipped to Port Blair . His house at 12, Sunny Park became a Collection Centre for relief material for rehabilitating the Tsunami victims at Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the distant Bay of Bengal. Such was the clarion call!
Together with five close associates, Shekhar Mehta in consultation with Prof. Ram Kapse ( the then Lt. Gov. of Andaman and Nicobar Islands) decided to build 500 houses for the Tsunami Victims in Hut Bay , a torrent site in the area. The island was totally ravaged, without electricity or water. Hundreds had succumbed to the fateful Tsunami.
With a team of 7 people, Shekhar Mehta visited Hut Bay Island to construct the houses with the assistance of experts as Md. Jadwet, Capt. Mahajan, Mr Anil Goel and others as advisories. The journey was arduous vide an airplane and then a vulnerable one by a helicopter . But this did not deter Shekhar , nor the fact that INR 2 crores had been raised by benevolent donors; Australian Cricket Capt. Steve Waugh , as well as the Pakistan and Indian Cricket teams.
The project was well done. Shekhar Mehta recalls, “ As the helicopter circled above Hut Bay to land , and as we came closer ; the sight of 500 homes we built made me realise asa builder by profession that I had made many buildings and made reasonable money in doing so. In comparison, these were the most beautiful buildings I had ever made where I spent money and not earned anything . But somehow thes homes gave me far greater satisfaction than the buildings I had constructed. Probably the sheer reason was doing something for others and not for myself – which is the true essence of Rotary. In doing the supervision of the homestead , dark clouds gathered again . Due to security and bleak weather conditions, we had to retreat back to mainland . That is when I realized how perfect the timings of these homes were. They would provide such great relief during this monsoon. ”
Befittingly, the Project was christened ‘Ashray- our new Home
