Pune (Maharashtra), Aug 23 (IANS): Despite facing a financial crunch away from home, around 100 Kashmiri students decided to forego Eid celebrations this year and instead pooled in their savings to help victims of the recent floods in south-west Maharashtra districts, earning the admiration of the local villagers.

Through NGOs 'Sarhad' and 'Gadzunjar Mawle', the team of Kashmiri youth led by Zahid Bhatt, Firdaus Mir and Yunus Bhatt made a daylong trip to one of the worst-hit Bubnal village in Kolhapur, said 'Sarhad' President Sanjay Nahar.

"The students felt that in view of the massive damage wreaked by the natural calamity, they should not celebrate the Bakri Eid festival this time and instead divert all their savings to the noble cause of the flood victims. Its a truly admirable gesture," Nahar told IANS.

Last week, they carried a truckload of clothes, foodstuffs and domestic article's kits and donated it to 100 families in Bubnal.

The students also lent an enthusiastic helping hand in the massive cleaning-up operations underway in the village, while an accompanying team of doctors carried out medical checkups of the villagers and gave them suitable medicines.

"Next week, they will embark on another trip, this time carrying educational materials for children of 100 families who lost all their academic stuff in the flood waters, severely hampering their education," Nahar said.

Studying in colleges in and around Pune, around 100 Kashmiri students are attached to 'Sarhad' and another 200 with other NGOs and social groups.