Unlike Los Angeles, the city of Bombay wasn’t built on rolling rocks.

Not too far from Bombay, however, an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale struck on Sept. 30, said Chandrakanth Nataraju president of the Indian Student Organization. While there was little damage in Bombay itself, 30,000 people were killed in the rural state of Maharashtra where homes are not well-constructed and quakes are infrequent, he said.

The resulting disease and homelessness has created quite a need for humanitarian aid. Kathy Glascock, spokesperson for the DeKalb County chapter of the American Red Cross, said the Red Cross has been sending food, medical supplies, clothing and volunteers since the quake.

Glascock said the Red Cross is protected by international laws because it is impartial and its sole purpose is to provide humanitarian aid. Thus, national governments and militaries cannot interfere with Red Cross relief efforts.

The DeKalb County chapter, located at 151 S. Third St. in DeKalb, still is accepting donations for the relief effort, Glascock said. For information, or to find out how to contribute, the Red Cross can be reached at 756-7339.

The Indian Student Organization (ISO) spent the week of Oct. 11-14 collecting donations for the relief effort at tables in Cole and Wirtz Halls, and the Center Cafe, Nataraju said. Fliers were posted to alert NIU students to the extent of the damage from the quake and the need for aid to Indian communities that were affected, he added.

The ISO might have been unaware of the American tradition of philanthropy, which has been known to run strong among college students. “We thought we’d help out in a small way,” Nataraju said. “The help we got was overwhelming. People from all quarters came and donated money. We’re grateful to all those people who showed concern for this human disaster.”

Nataraju said the more than $1500 received by the ISO would be turned over to the DeKalb County Chapter of the American Red Cross. All the money then will go to the national headquarters of the American Red Cross, to be turned over to the Indian Red Cross.

All the money will be used for the relief effort, Nataraju said, unlike some hunger relief projects that send money to Third World governments who then refuse to give any to feed the hungry people.

Since there are still more than 120,000 homeless people because of the quake, Nataraju said, construction and medical assistance will be the highest priorities of the Red Cross.

Tons of food and clothing already have been sent by the Red Cross and numerous smaller organizations, Nataraju said. In addition, the United Nations, the Indian Consulate and national governments including the United States government have sent aid. Nataraju quoted the chief minister of India as saying “all we need is money, medical supplies and volunteers.”

While the ISO is grateful for the charity of NIU students, Nataraju said the quake relief effort, like the recent relief effort for Hurricane Andrew, would continue for several months. “People still need help out there,” he said.

“The help we got was overwhelming. People from all quarters came and donated money. We’re grateful to all those people who showed concern for this human disaster.”