Chennai Floods : ‘Thanks to RSS’
As the flood water is receding, the post-flood relief activities are gaining momentum in many parts of Chennai under the supervision of the RSS.
With receding flood water and diminishing rain, the relief works entered into the next phase in Chennai’s flood devastated areas. Along with or parallel to the State machinery, the RSS swayamsevaks are volunteering the relief and rescue activities. As water is receding, the post-flood relief activities are gaining momentum in many parts of Chennai such as Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore which were badly submerged under the floodwater.
The RSS volunteers are supervising the relief works at around 75 different places. RSS has been active in relief and rescue works in solidarity with the people of Tamil Nadu. As soon as the news of the incessant rains and the flash floods reached Namakkal District, around 40 volunteers from the RSS and Rasipuram Vidya Mandir School plunged to action. They collected 3 truck-loads of relief materials worth about 10 lakh rupees and distributed it to flood affected people housed in Panimalar Engineering College.
Cuddalore is one of the worst affected districts during the recent incessant rains. About 110 Sewa Bharati volunteers immediately rushed into action after getting news about the pathetic condition at Cuddalore. Food, water, biscuit, bread, saree, dress materials, bed sheets were distributed. So far 20,000 families have been benefited.
A team of 50 doctors, 12 medical and pharmacy students from various parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have poured into Chennai to offer their help. A total of 10 teams were formed and they went about to conduct 40 camps in various parts of Chennai. About one lakh affected people were examined and necessary help was extended. Majority of the people were suffering from Athlete’s foot due to prolonged exposure to stagnant and contaminated water. The local RSS volunteers helped in setting up the camps and in maintaining law and order in them.
While selfless groups, both governmental and non-governmental, devote themselves in relief activities, the State political leadership is trying to take advantage of this disaster to yield political mileage. There are severe criticisms from different parts including mainstream media and social media, against the State government’s selfish and calculated approach in managing the disaster. Reportedly, 1,800 personnel of National Disaster Response Force are on the ground in Chennai and other affected parts of the State. Swayamsevaks in co-ordination with NDRF and Armed personnel are helping in rescue operations in Mudhichur, Mannivakkam. An MLA JCD Prabhakaran visited one of the Sangh’s relief camps. He congratulated the Swayamsevaks for their invaluable contribution. He shook hands with the volunteers and said, “Thanks to RSS”.
—Organiser Bureau
(With inputs from VSK Chennai)
Vanavasi Seva Kendram, Tamil Nadu unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, has been working, since 1980, with a vision to uplift vanavasi (tribal) people living in 46 hillocks and forests of Tamil Nadu. They have been working on various welfare programmes but mainly focus on providing fair education to Vanavasi children. They have been running schools at Karumandurai (Salem District), Navampattu (Salem District) and Vellimalai (Villupuram District) and free hostels at Karumandurai (Salem District), Thiruvallur (Chennai) and Vadavalli (Coimbatore). One of their hostels located in Thiruvallur, has been severely affected by the catastrophic floods. It was home to 27 students aged between 10 and 15. While talking to the Organiser, Vanavasi Sewa Kendram Tamil Nadu President Shri VA Subramaniam said, “The hostel is submerged under around 6 feet of flood water. The hostel inmates have been shifted to a temporary accommodation at RSS Tirupur Zilla Karyalaya.”
The loss caused by the flood has been estimated to over rupees 30 lakh. The hostel building should urgently be renovated without any delay but raising a sum of rupees 30 lakh will be a herculean task, he added. The flood affected hostel in Thiruvallur is surrounded by around 690 Vanavasi families. The organisation has also extended their help to those families who were badly affected by the floods.
Make a Donation:
Vanavasi Seva Kendram Tamil Nadu, Syndicate Bank, Vadavalli Branch, A/c: 61202010025840, IFSC: SYNB0006560,
Coimbatore, Pin: 641 041
