A helping hand to Chennai

Rini Ann George

Chennai 14 December

Chennai city, fully submerged under water was crying for the last couple of weeks and help from all over the country had poured into the city. The Chennaites were surprised to see the support, help and concern, they got from all over India and from abroad. It was Kerala, the neighbouring state who was among the firsts to extend the helping hand. The media of Kerala played a lead role in giving help to the crying southern city.

Most of the media houses, especially visual media lead the amnesty operations and it was asianet, a major news channel who initiated medical care in most of the affected area. The channel is conducting medical camps at various affected places of the city. Hundreds of people are in the queue from morning and two doctors [one lady doctor] are engaged in attending the patients. The channel said that the most important issue of the city now is the spread of epidemics. So they concentrate more in the area. Doctors attend children and ladies who are suffering from various rain related diseases like fever, cough etc. In the medical camps the channel also gives free medicines and food, like biscuits. It also provides milk, soap and other essential items to the people.

Through a big campaign, Chennai nagarthinu oru kaithangu' a helping hand to Chennai, it collects various items from Kerala and transports to Chennai for giving to the affected people.

For this in every news bulletin it gives various news items on the flood affected city and viewers are interested in giving money, as well as various items like bed sheets, medicines, biscuits etc.

Asianet also gives good coverage to the pathetic condition of the people of Chennai and through this they enlightened the people of Kerala to extend help to the city.

So far the channel had organised seven such medical camps in various parts of the city, like Thambaram and in the process of conducting few others. The main problem of the city is now is its building up and blocking the spread of epidemics.

The aftermath of every natural disaster is spread of epidemics and it is so important to the lives of lakhs of people in Chennai. So the channel concentrates in this areas rather that giving food to the people.

Here one can see the strength of the media in difficult situations like flood. The channel mobilised lakhs of rupees, medicines etc and extending a helping hand to the Chennaites.

The channel also distributed essential items at various spots of the city and supported thousands of people in the most difficult situation of their life. The people of Chennai are thankful to these initiatives of the channel and expressed their gratitude. Most of the staff members are now active in helping the people who are still suffering and do not have food, shelter and medicines. The channel distributed thousands of bottles of water to the people as water is contaminated everywhere. Water related diseases are now common in the city as a large chunk of the people are using unclean water.

Asianet's support to the people of Chennai in the tough times is very valuable and people appreciate this.

In difficult hours of Chennai, Kerala people has supported extensively and several business house like Joy Alukkas group has contributed crores of rupees to Chennai. So far most of the media houses had collected various items and distributed in the affected parts of the city. Even now contributions are pouring to Chennai from all parts of Kerala and from all walks of life. Even school children had contributed to the Chennai relief fund.

So far Kerala organisations had distributed products worth at least Rs 50 crore to the city. The media organisations have taken the collective lead to co-ordinate in the helping and supporting initiatives. The people said that whatever Chennai needs we are ready to give them.