A year later, Mumbaihelp sprang into action once again during the recent blasts, to provide information including names of the injured, list of hospitals and traffic updates.
MUMBAI: After the floods, bloggers knew just where to be.
Mumbaihelp.blogspot.com saw the community coming together to help victims and relatives. A year later, Mumbaihelp sprang into action once again during the recent blasts, to provide information including names of the injured, list of hospitals and traffic updates.
“During a crisis, people are inclined to help others. For them, Mumbaihelp was one easy way to reach out to others. Peter Griffin had set up a similar blog after the tsunami in December 2004 called Tsunamihelp. That sparked off a series of collablogs, as he termed them, across the world,” said Mumbaihelp blogger Amit Varma.
Griffin, a freelance journalist and communications consultant and a few other bloggers had precise experience in running a blog at a time like this. The group put this to good use with Mumbaihelp.
“Many of us were stranded. There was no electricity or water and phone lines were jammed. In the days after the deluge, people were clueless about what to do, how to claim the compensation. A huge amount of info was needed,” said Griffin.
He said there are 40 people listed as contributors to the blog. “There are at least 100 more who access the blog and help,” he added.
The group vents its anger against the authorities for blocking certain websites after the blasts.
“Free speech is at the heart of any democracy, and it would be a pity if, after criticising the authoritarian governments of Pakistan and China, we follow in their footsteps,” said Varma.
Griffin added, “I would understand if the authorities block child porn sites or a site teaching how to make a bomb. But they should not take over decisions that an individual should be making for himself.”
These bloggers want to form a citizens’ network, helping people in the city to connect. “We would also like to network with the civic authorities, ham radio operators, NGOs, and prepare a directory for emergencies,” said Griffin.
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