From philanthropy to PM-CARES Fund, India unites to fight coronavirus – the top social stories of the week

Beware the ides of March, Shakespeare said, and it rang true in present times as well. Coronavirus spread across the world, with the number of cases rising to over one million and deaths nearing 60,000.

From the surge of reported cases in India leading to the creation of the PM-CARES Fund to the goodwill of people and organisations in these difficult times, and the recovery of Mother Earth in many ways, here are the top five stories of the week:

How people are donating to the Centre's PM-CARES Fund to fight coronavirus

The PM-CARES public charitable trust fund was set up to contain the spread of coronavirus. Many citizens have come forward to support the Centre by making donations. The donors who have pledged support includ celebrities, sportspersons, politicians, industrialists, corporates, and startups.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also allowed micro-donations, making it easier for the common man to donate as well. 

Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor embarks on a mission to feed the hungry during lockdown

With the spread of the pandemic looming, a nationwide lockdown was announced in India on March 24. This continues to cause inconvenience to the millions of Indians who depend on daily wages.

Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor launched an initiative called Food for Life in partnership with Food Crate, a kitchen in Thubarahalli, to feed the poor and the needy in five locations of the city. Each food parcel includes Bisleri water bottles and rice preparations. 

Blue skies, clean air: how the coronavirus lockdown is rejuvenating our environment

Mother Earth seems to have rejuvinated itself. Smog has given way to blue skies, marine life is seeing increased activity, pollution levels have dropped, and animals and birds are moving about on their own.

There has been a 25 percent decrease in emissions across China during February 2020 due to the reduced use of coal and crude oil, while the Air Quality Index (AQI) sank to as low as 93 last month in New Delhi. 

Meet the husband-wife duo who cleared over 10,00,000 kg of marine litter from Mahim Beach

In Mumbai, Indranil Sengupta and Rabia Tewari, a husband-wife duo, incepted a social enterprise called Ethico, appalled by the tonnes of oceanic litter strewn over the beach. This has since grown into a citizen movement, called the Mahim Beach Clean Up, joined by more than 20,000 volunteers.

They have cleared over 10,00,000 kg of marine litter from Mahim Beach, exposing a shore that was buried under 3.5 feet of plastic and other junk.

How Dr Aiswarya Rao overcame disability to empower differently-abled women

Shouldering an inspiring pursuit is Dr Aiswarya Rao. Aged 47, and having been diagnosed with polio at the age of three, Aiswarya established Better World Shelter in Chennai, a rehabilitation centre for disabled women, in 2016.

Battling many hardships to transform the lives of women, she made a shelter housing 55 women with a range of disabilities - locomotor, speech, learning, hearing, and visual impairment, among others. 

(Edited by Javed Gaihlot)