Every day, a vehicle arrives at Kilpauk Water Works, not to fetch water, but to deliver homemade, piping hot food to workers at the public utility.
A family in Kilpauk has been preparing breakfast and lunch for nearly 300 workers of Metrowater and Chennai Corporation, in the locality, since the beginning of the lockdown.
The workers, including lorry drivers, at Kilpauk Water Works and zone 8, have been struggling to find food, as eateries are shut by the time they finish work, late in the afternoon.
A Metrowater official in zone 8 said: “The family came forward to sponsor food for workers and timekeepers. Several lorry drivers are from other parts of the State, including Tiruchi and Madurai, and depend on eateries.”
The household of Ashok Parmar, a resident of Rajarathinam Street, gets busy at the break of dawn, and in four hours, breakfast and lunch is cooked, and is ready to be transported. Mr. Parmar’s family was involved in voluntary efforts during the 2015 floods as well.
“We serve lunch consisting a variety rice, with a side dish, to Metrowater workers, and breakfast and lunch to Corporation workers. We check the number of people who need food the previous day and they collect it from us,” said Mr. Parmar.
On average, about 15-20 kg of rice is used for preparing lunch. “It is our contribution for workers who are providing essential services during the crisis. We are ready to serve people in need,” he said. Such voluntary efforts motivate workers to continue their work, a Metrowater official said.
