Chennai: “When Chennai suffered due to floods in 2015 and Vardah cyclone in 2016, people in other parts of the State rushed to the capital’s rescue. But when those in the delta districts are devastated by Gaja, the city has not helped them much.”
This complaint, which can be seen on social media platforms, is proving to be wrong, with many Chennaiites chipping in with help, big and small, to wipe out the worries of their counterparts in the central districts.
COMING TOGETHER FOR A CAUSE
A 20-member-team from Velacheri conducted a two-day relief camp in Thanjavur which was initiated by Velacheri Annai Indira Nagar Residents Welfare Association along with the help of a hospital and an ashram. People at Perumagalur and Kilamangalam of Pattukottai district benefited from the camp.
The team had collected essentials worth Rs 2 lakh and medicines worth Rs 50,000.
Vice-president of the association, Kumararaja, said, “We started off by collecting relief material. But later, we doubted whether it would reach the right people and decided to go in person to these affected areas.”
Soon, Bloom Hospital, Velacheri, and Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram joined hands with them; doctors, nurses and pharmacists from the hospital also took part in the mission.
“We were able to distribute the kits to over 1,000 people, and about 600 people benefited from our medical camp,” Kumararaja said. While the collection drive was under way, devotees of a temple in the neighbourhood contributed over Rs 25,000 apart from the association’s funds.
STRONG FOUNDATION
Ambattur-based Ooruni Foundation president, Sudarsanam, said, “Ooruni Maiyam has 83 members. We raised Rs 1.5 lakh from amongst us. Residents and other associations came together and helped us raise more money, food items, clothes, etc. We sent 150 packets with essential items to villages in Tiruvarur.”
CALL CENTRE
Rajkumar, belonging to Direction for Volunteers in Chrompet, said, “We have set up a call centre where our volunteers personally call every single number specified in request messages and verify the information.”
A bunch of young professionals set up Gaja Relief Squad and collected funds and materials at Vadapalani, Velacheri, T Nagar, Tambaram, Selaiyur and Villivakkam.
One development that aided the coordination of relief work was technology. Millions of messages and photographs were shared using social media platforms to give a first person perspective of the ground reality.
After doing the preliminary checks, most NGOs and individuals sent their members to ground zero to distribute the collected materials to the deserving people.
(With inputs from Naomi N & Praveen Kumar S)