The Greater Chennai City Police has so far rescued 2,735 homeless and uncared persons, who were roaming the streets, under the 'Kaaval Karangal' project, launched in April last year.
The initiative was launched to rescue and care for destitute persons with the support of NGOs, shelter them in homes after proper medical care, counselling and ultimately reunite them with their family members.
A senior police officer said: “Some of these persons were abandoned by their family members on board trains. After reaching the last station they stayed on platforms.”
Kaaval Karangal is a synchronised approach connecting all stakeholders for greater coordination, he added.
Over 40 non-governmental organisations, 120 volunteers, 148 private homes, staff of the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Health Department and 108 Ambulance services were roped in the mission. A woman inspector has been assigned to handle and coordinate with other agencies who are in rescue/rehabilitation mission. Its helpline number 9444717100 works 24 hours.
On July 25 last year, 127 rescued and sheltered people of north Indian origin were identified under Kaaval Karangal initiative with the help of NGOs and sent to the Apnaghar, an NGO in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, by an express train to be reunited with their family. In return, Kaval Karangal brought 38 persons from States such as Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from Apnaghar and reunited 35 of them with their family members.
J. Loganathan, Additional Commissioner of Police, headquarters, said: "Periodical review is conducted with all the stakeholders to identify the issues to sort out and improve effective functioning. Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal conducts review on the progress in rescuing the people and often gives proper instructions and guidance for effective functioning of Kaaval Karangal."
Of the 2,735 rescued persons, 2,162 were sent to shelter homes, 282 persons were reunited with their families and 265 were sent to mental health hospitals, 26 have been admitted as inpatients in government hospitals. Over 1,216 unclaimed bodies were buried with the help of the volunteers after performing the last rites, the officer said.
Mr. Jiwal received the Chief Minister’s Award for Best Practices for launching the “Kaaval Karangal” on Independence Day.
