Greater Chennai Corporation to serve food to 26 lakh people displaced by cyclone

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will dish out hot food thrice a day to 26 lakh people displaced by the torrential rains.

The food would be delivered to the 26 lakh slum-dwellers here from December 6 to 13, said GCC Commissioner G Prakash on Saturday.

This would be the largest community food service ever undertaken by the civic body to cater to around 5.3 lakh families covering 26 lakh individuals to compensate for the loss of their livelihood due to cyclone 'Burevi', he said.

The move follows a direction from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami at a meeting held earlier in the day at the Secretariat to take stock of the situation arising out of cyclones 'Nivar' and 'Burevi'.

He directed the officials to visit the houses of the affected by inundation and provide food packets, drinking water besides milk powder for children.

"I have instructed the officials to visit the areas affected by the cyclone and provide hot and hygienically cooked food and drinking water to the people besides milk powder for the children.

Also, I have ordered to press into service mobile cafeteria wherever required", the Chief Minister said in a statement.

He said about one lakh food packets are being distributed per day to the marooned people.

Further, each affected family was being provided 10 kg rice, dhoti, saree, one litre of kerosene, 1 kg of lentils and cooking oil. About 34 medical camps and 43 mobile medical teams have been set up to safeguard the public from disease outbreak, Palaniswami said.