Three years after it was launched with much fanfare, the Tiruchi Corporation’s ‘Atchayapathiram’ or ‘People’s Food Bank’ on Allithurai Road in Puthur that was meant to feed needy people in the city is lying near-empty, with donors and beneficiaries staying away from the facility .
The food bank, which has 10 shelves and a refrigerated section to store perishable items, was established at a cost of ₹10 lakh from the Corporation’s general fund in 2019-’20. It is thought to have fallen into disuse as there are other options for the needy to source freshly cooked meals throughout the day for free in the neighbourhood.
The rule mandating only pre-packaged food items has also prevented contributions, say social activists.
“In the initial days, we noticed people donating fresh fruits and juices to the food bank. There is no system to monitor what is being brought in or whether it is reaching the public in the right manner, and over time, the donations just stopped,” A.P. Ramakrishnan, Tiruchi director, No Food Waste (NFW), told The Hindu.
NFW, a non-governmental organisation that redistributes 7,000 to 15,000 plates of cooked food per month within Tiruchi, receives at least 10-15 calls every day from those with surplus food.
“We have to ensure the redistribution is done within a few hours of the food being prepared. People prefer to eat meals straight from the kitchen rather than pick up packaged stuff from food banks. Installing a microwave or gas stove in a free community service like the food bank is not advisable without supervision,” he said.
Sources in the Corporation admitted that the food bank may have outlived its usefulness. Its fate mirrors that of the ‘Wall of Kindness’ adjoining it, where people were supposed to deposit their unwanted surplus clothes, but now has become a dumping ground.
Residents say that both the public spaces could be put to better use by being redeveloped for the community in the form of a free student counselling centre or a similar service.
