A helping hand for the flood-hit....But they need more

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The flood-hit residents may have lost their homes and belongings but a most of them don’t end up sleeping without food and water thanks to the generosity of Chennaites and the community kitchens that are mushrooming in the city.

Most of the residents are not waiting for the government to initiate relief measures and are pooling in money to ensure that the flood-hit people who have lost everything during the floods don’t go hungry.

Although food is being provided in relief camps, people could be seen waiting at the roadside to get the offerings of love and compassion from fellow Chennaites.

An apartment in Mogappair is cooking food by pooling in money and buying vegetables and rice. “The women cook and the men distribute the food,” said Sandhya, who was the brain child behind the initiative.

“I came up with the idea and asked people living in our apartment. They agreed. We managed to get Rs 20,000 and bought vegetables and food,” she said.

“We had till now provided 800 packets. These include vegetable rice and water,” she said.

She is not alone. There are many people who are silently contributing to the cause of humanity. In Nerkundram, there have been many community kitchens dotting the area. Most of them cook on the road and serve it to the flood-hit people.

In relief centres, the people are longing for food being offered by the private people. Auto driver B Sivakumar, whose family was seen trying to get the eatables offered in a small lorry opposite Ampa Skywalk mall, said that there is no shortage of food for flood-hit. “The issue is with the officials. They have failed to enumerate how many are genuinely in need of food and clothing. They have the ration cards or data of each and every person living in the ward. All they have to do is compile it and ensure the needy get the flood relief and the leakages are prevented,” he added.

Interestingly, he is not staying at the relief camp. His auto is his home,. His two children live in the auto. “The relief camp is too crowded. I find my auto is safe,” he says.

He says people’s initiative is noble but they are providing the food to the same people. They are unaware who is needy and who is not.