Over 200 people have died, several hundred have been critically injured, and thousands affected or displaced by the flooding that has ensued. (Reuters Photo)
As thousands of people stand losing their homes and belongings to the Chennai floods, several residents of the city have got together to help each other with food, clothing and essential items.
Taking the help of social media, they are mobilising volunteers and identifying areas that require help.
Volunteers from the Rotary Clubs of Madras North and West have put in place five centres over the last one week providing food packets to 2.75 lakh people.
"It's a spontaneous response. All our clubs have joined together besides many non-rotarians," said Past District Governor G Olivannan.
From Wednesday, the group has stopped supplying food and has switched to sending hampers with fourteen items including clothes, bad sheets, mosquito repellants, water, sanitary napkins collected from across the state.
Prashant, a young volunteer who takes supplies to communities in need often wading through knee-deep to neck-deep waters for more than a week, explained, "We first survey going to many areas and identify areas where help is required. Then we seek police help to distribute smoothly. This way we ensure the same groups don't get everything."
Another student volunteer said "Now there's an abundant supply of food. Now people need clothes, blankets, torches, candles etc to start rebuilding their lives."
In another part of Chennai, Merlia Shaukath has taken time off work to collect medicine and distribute them to prevent disease in vulnerable areas. "Skin infection, dehydration, diarrhea are on the rise and through these non-prescription drugs we are attempting to stop any disease breakdown," she said.
Grace Beryl Caroline, a young woman, is working to provide books, note books and stationery to all the children whose books got destroyed by floods. "Otherwise there could be school dropouts," she said.
More than 250 people were killed and thousands displaced as much of Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu were submerged in flood waters after the highest rainfall in nearly a hundred years lashed the state over the past month.