Home Resources News archive EARTHQUAKE IN INDIA

EARTHQUAKE IN INDIA

22.02.2001 News

By Adam Kallish

Wisconsin (USA) - The recent earthquake in western Gujarat State in India has claimed thousands of lives and wreaked havoc on the infrastructure of state and federal institutions. The National Institute of Design (NID) located in Ahmedabad has been damaged.
Present news accounts of the current state of NID has come from e-mail and third party accounts, therefore the situation is still evolving.

So far, what is known is the campus has been damaged. Some faculty and students are living in temporary tents on the quad. At this point, there has been no known casuaties. Over the next months as NID recovers and rebuilds, there will be many hidden costs due to the uncovered damage to infrastructure and equipment. There continues to be aftershocks so damage may become worse.

Because of the legacy of service to many sectors of Indian society, students have been immediately put into good use by being charged to develop design programs (both products or communications) to help victims. Three weeks were given to students, either off campus or at home to work to complete these projects.

An emergency fund has been set up for the institute and there are a few ways contributions can be forwarded:
- An "NID Corpus Fund: Restoration" has been set up, which will receive all such contributions and offers of funding assistance. Cheques/demand drafts in favour of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, can be forwarded to Shri S Balaram, Convenor, Crisis Management Group, at NID.
- Or for direct deposts in dollars: Chase Manhattan Bank (ABA No. 021000021 Swift 10 Chasus 33), For Credit to Account No. 544774311 of Bank of India, New York Branch, For ultimate Credit to Account No 0003325012 of Bank of India, Ahmedabad Branch, For ultimate Credit to Bank of India Paldi Branch Ahmedabad Current A/C No. 740 in the name of National Institute of Design.

For direct deposits in pounds: Please Credit proceeds to Bank of India, London Branch sort Code No 609390, For Credit to Bank of India, Ahmedabad Branch A/c No 0110000010101, For ultimate Credit to Bank of India, Paldi Branch Current A/c No 740 in the name ofNational Institute of Design.

Founded in the late 1950's throughcooperative efforts of Charles and Ray Eames, and other indian and international organizations - the goal was to
create a world class design curriculum to advance the modern tenants of design and fuse them with the needs of every sector of Indian life. NID's mandate is to promote design awareness and application toward raising the quality of Indian-made products, systems and environments,toward increased employment and earning opportunities through designapplication, and toward the spread of design training in India. It is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

We are confident that NID's mobilization will help the local residents of Ahmedabad and Gujarat State to cope in the coming weeks and months with pragmatic, but inspired solutions. To find out more about the National Institute of Design, please visit their website at www.nid.edu. Contact the Executive Director, Dr Darlie O'Koshy at edoffice@nid.edu

For more information concerning the current situation, or if institutions or individuals are interested in helping NID, a_kallish@hotmail.com or Mookesh Patel at mookesh@asu.edu.