The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Mass feeding continues in Tiruvarur district

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Others

Mass feeding continues in Tiruvarur district

By G.Srinivasan

TIRUVARUR, DEC.27. Mass feeding of nearly 60,000 people who have come from Nagapattinam to Tiruvarur as refugees following tsunamis attack on Sunday continued today.

The Tiruvarur Collector, P. Ekambaram, said that the people were advised not to go back to Nagapattinam but stay in the 22 shelters in this district at places like Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Mannargudi, Peralam, Koradacheryand Kollumangudi.

`We are feeding 40,000 people while social service organisations have taken up the task of feeding another 20,000 people,' he said.

Round-the-clock kitchens have been put up wherever the people are lodged and cooked rice is provided to them. There has been a scarcity of bread and cakes as this is Christmas time and year-end.

However, bread and biscuits obtained from other districts are distributed to the people.

The administration has sent 35,000 food packets to Nagapattinam for distribution.

People are being inoculated and protected drinking water is supplied to them.

However wailing of the people for their beloved ones continued to rent the air as most of the people are yet to know the fate of their relatives.

Anthony Victor, who moved from Arunattutheru in Nagapattinam, said that he was going to Kattur, where his relatives were living along with his goats.

Meanwhile, Vailankanni pilgrims, who got stranded at Tiruvarur and at other places made their way to their respective places by buses.

The administration pressed into service more buses. Banks and district administration went to the rescue of many pilgrims, who were without money to buy tickets and go to their places. T.S.Sarguna Pandiyan, Chief Regional Manager of Indian Overseas Bank, gave a sum of Rs.500 each to three Vailankanni pilgrims at Thanjavur to enable them go to Bangalore, their destination.

Banks and service organisations swung into action and rushed relief to Nagapattinam today. Indian Overseas Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank rushed relief from Thanjavur to Nagapattinam.

According to Mr. Sarguna Pandiyan, a total of 1500 food packets, 3000 bread and biscuit packets and 4,000 water bottles and clothes were sent to Nagapattinam.

The people can donate clothes or make remittances for relief at any of the bank branches.

There will be no service charge or any charge for remittances towards relief, he added.

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