The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Flood of donations from rest of country

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Flood of donations from rest of country

By S. Vydhianathan

CHENNAI, JAN. 6. Relief materials for tsunami victims are virtually flooding the State from all over the country.

Apart from the usual rice, pulses, sugar and clothes, some State Governments and voluntary organisations had sent materials, which, on the face of it, seem unusual but their utility value in day-to-day life cannot be undermined.

For example, the Gujarat Government dispatched toothbrushes, batteries, gloves, candles and feeding bottles while the Haryana Government sent lanterns, kerosene stoves, matchboxes, safety pins and gunny bag bundles, according to official sources.

Gujarat had also sent one lakh pockets, each containing 7.5 kg of rice, one kg each of "dhal" and salt and 100 gm of chilli powder. These materials, which were dispatched through 50 lorries and 37 railway wagons, included blankets, medical kits and footwear. Two IAS officers from Gujarat had been deputed to hand over the relief materials to officials here.

Sometimes, materials sent by enthusiastic people may result in an additional burden to the Government. For example, one voluntary organisation had sent hundreds of plastic "kudams" (pots) and requested the Government to distribute them to the affected people in Nagapattinam district. As the cost of transportation would have been more than the value of the pots, officials here decided to distribute them locally.

The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation has been authorised by the State Government to receive the materials, which are first stored in the Corporation's central godown here. After taking them into account, they are handed over to the nodal officer, C.V. Shankar, in charge of distribution. As per his directive, the materials are sent to the affected districts. In the districts too, the godowns of the corporation are being utilised for storing the materials.

Milk shortage

Referring to complaints of the shortage of milk in relief camps, the Aavin authorities said they had set up booths in all the relief camps from where milk was being distributed to the children. So far, it had distributed 75,000 litres of liquid milk and 20,000 tetra packs.

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