Chennai: While all of us remain indoors, there are a few who are going that extra mile to ensure that people, who are left without a choice to work and earn their daily bread during these pandemic times, don’t starve.
Amid the lockdown, they are taking pains to get groceries and other essentials for cooking and to distribute food to the needy.
In Chennai, a group of friends led by Kannan and Suresh Kumar prepare 50 kilograms of food daily which comes to around 500 odd packets of meals. They make variety rice for Corporation staff, sanitary workers, migrant labourers and also for nurses who are doing door to door for survey in Avadi.
Suresh said, “The migrant labourers do not have jobs and they live in groups. They cannot afford to buy food.’
He said he used to prepare food in large quantities for temples during festivals. His team of 15 prepares and distributes the food from 8 am to 12 noon”.
Initially, they made just 25 kilograms, but as days went by, they found the need was larger.”The main sufferers of the lockdown are people from other States. We collect money from friends and some celebrities for carrying out the food distribution activity,” adds Suresh, who can be reached at 8610023883.
In Chidambaram, a group of temple priests headed by Bhaskara Dikshitar has been distributing food packets door to door. They are using a push cart to give packets of variety rice and sakkara pongal for those living in Kothankudi Street, Kaaryaperumal Koil Street, Govindasamy Street and Gnanaprakasam Street among other areas.
Following the lockdown, the main roads of Chidambaram are cordoned off so the underprivileged and senior citizens have no access to food. The priests belong to the renowned Lord Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram.