India Inc pitches in to help out with relief effort for Chennai's flood victims

CHENNAI: India Inc is pitching in to help out with relief effort for Chennai's flood victims. Companies like TVS, Hyundai, SBI and others are getting directly involved in collecting and distributing relief material. Others are planning to contribute to the disaster relief fund. A large number of corporates are also helping out stranded employees by offering free transportation and flexi work schedules.

TVS was first to begin its relief operations more than three weeks ago. Srinivasan Services Trust, the CSR arm of both TVS Sundaram Clayton and TVS Motor Company, is driving this relief activity.

Already more than 1lakh food packets and 50 tonnes of food have been distributed. More than 100 employees of TVS have been responding to distress calls from company employees, their relatives and others stuck in marooned neighbourhoods. They have so far helped evacuate more than 500 people and the company's mini trucks and SUVs are being used to transport flood materials and rescue affected people. Boats are being used in coordination with police where ever it is necessary.

The company has also been distributing food packets from TVS-Sundaram Clayton factory in Padi to families in low lying areas of Korattur, SIDCO Nagar, Villivakkam, Ambathur, Kolathur, National Disaster Response Force relief shelter at Mogapre (Velammal School), Aminjikarai, Arumbakkam, MMDA, and National Disaster Response Force relief shelter at Kotturpuram (Housing Board).

Ditto for Korean major Hyundai,which has its plant in the outskirts of Chennai. HMIF, the CSR arm of Hyundai motor India limited, has handed over 5,000 packets (4 chapathis and side dish, 1 packet milk biscuits, 2 bananas) on December 4 and 6,000 food packets (2 Jam buns and 1 box of rice dish (puliyogare & chips) on December 5 to the flood-relief teams set-up by the Tamil Nadu Government. These were air-dropped in flooded areas in and around Chennai city by Air Force Personnel operating from Tambaram Air Base. Over the weekend, company MD Young Key Koo and Vinayagam G, president of United Union of Hyundai Employees along with HMIF team members and HMIL volunteers, visited Vengadu and Nemily villages in Sriperumbudur and distributed essential items like clothing (for an entire family), blankets, towels and 20 litre water cans to 200 families.

Similar items will be distributed in the villages of Perinjampakkam, Ottankaranai and Thathanur, followed by distribution of utensils Natioand provisions to sustain the families for 10 days. The relief measures will benefit 1,000 families in these most affected villages and is expected to be completed by December 14. Once the water recedes, HMIF will conduct a complete sanitization campaign for these same villages, which will see cleaning up of the entire village with tractors, mosquito fogging, spraying of bleaching powder and other activities.

Many corporates are also offering special services for their customers including penalty waiver on home loan EMIs. Banks like HDFC, ICICI and State Bank of India (SBI) have announced this measure for Chennai customers.