Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Mobile team to distribute drinking water sachets

PHOTO:R.M. RAJARATHINAM

BIG RELIEF: Collector T.Soundiah flagging off the mobile drinking water dispensing team in Tiruchi on Tuesday. —

TIRUCHI: Though the summer does not seem to alter their seemingly nonchalant behaviour, the ubiquitous wandering mentally ill persons in city, in reality, bear the brunt of the sweltering heat.

In a city that has very little greenery, they hardly have much cover. Drinking water could become a scarce commodity for these wanderers. Though it is customary for service organisations and even political parties to set up ‘thanneerpandals' in the city to dispense drinking water to people, most of these reclusive persons shy away from them, perhaps out of fear of repulsion.

Anbalayam, a city-based voluntary organisation working for the cause of such people, has come to their aid by launching a mobile drinking water dispensing team. “We have come to realise that many of these people have no access to safe drinking water. They run the risk of complicating their health condition by going without water,” observes T.K.S.Senthil Kumar, founder, Anbalayam.

Food packets

Mr. Kumar and his team of social workers have been engaged in distributing food packets to about 50 of them in the city for the past several years. The food packets are now donated by the Sadhguru Samhara Swamigal Temple authorities, he says.

“The mobile team would now go around the city and distribute drinking water in sachets for about three hours during the day. We hope to reach out to as many wandering mentally persons as possible in Tiruchi and Srirangam every day,” he says. Mr. Kumar estimates that the city has over 100 wandering mentally ill persons. Most of them have their own hangouts.

Buttermilk given

On Tuesday, the mobile team which was flagged off by Collector T.Soundiah, also distributed buttermilk and ‘paanagam' to the wandering mentally ill.

“We plan to distribute buttermilk and paanagam on days when we manage to get sponsors. On other days, till the end of this summer, the team would distribute water sachets,” he says.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cholan Express back on track
Centre yet to finalise facilities for Tiruchi-IIM
Call to promote traditional medicine
Mobile team to distribute drinking water sachets
Mayor inspects water sources
No drinking water supply today
Good response to summer camp
“Ensure uninterrupted power supply”
Lifer commits suicide in Central Jail
Tiruchi ideal investment destination: Nehru
Normal life unaffected
Tiruchi Today

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu