Tiruchi Corporation with the support of local NGOs is distributing food to nearly 5,000 people, including roadside vendors, homeless and workers of a few essential services. Three locations have been earmarked across three zones of the city corporation from where the food is being cooked and distributed.
The three locations – Kalaiarangam, Thevar Hall and Amma Mandapam – have been identified by the civic body where volunteers can use the utensils to cook, and pack individual packets of food which will be distributed.
At the Kalaiarangam venue, 30 clubs of the Lions Club International have taken up the work. “Each unit makes and distributes about 1,500 packets of food. The food is made at the community kitchen and volunteers transport them to various locations across the city were people in need of food, have been identified,” said a volunteer.
Speaking to The Hindu , S. Sivasubramanian, Corporation Commissioner, said that the distribution was scaled up after the need was identified. “Until last week we had been serving about 1,500 packets in total. However, many street vendors and migrant workers are in need of help,” he said.
Of the 5,000 food packets, about 100-150 packets are also being distributed to healthcare workers at a private hospital. Nearly 50 packets are being given to migrant workers while another 300-400 packets are given to women self-help groups, who are assisting the civic body in door-to-door surveys and COVID-19 awareness campaigns.
The civic body is supplying nearly 25 kilos of rice per day for this exercise.
“We are using the general fund of civic body. At this time, we cannot be waiting for sanction of special funds,” Mr. Sivasubramanian said.
