The sex workers dipped into their savings.
By Sreejith Vallukunnu
Maharashtra’s sex workers have become role models for everyone, by extending their helping hands for the Chennai flood victims.
Sex workers from Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district survived on one meal a day and dipped into their savings to collect one lakh Rupees for the Chennai relief fund.
They have handed over a check of Rs. 1 lakh to District Collector Anil Kawade at an event organized by NGO Snehalaya in Ahmednagar, on Monday.
Speaking at the event, Snehalaya founder Girish Kulkarni said: “These women were restless since the last four days, when they came to know of the deluge in Chennai. They decided that they should do something to help residents there.
“They said such a great calamity has befallen Tamil Nadu and they needed to contribute to the relief work. They set aside this amount by saving and even had just one meal in a day,” he said.
“Of the around 3,000 sex workers in the district, in western Maharashtra, almost 2,000 contributed to the relief fund,” Kulkarni said.
“We are in touch with Delhi-based NGO Goonj for ensuring further relief to the people of Chennai,” he added.
India’s fourth populous city faced one of the worst rainfalls in about 100 years, and got deluged by floods.
The torrential rain that began a month back in southern India has claimed the lives of around 300 people and Chennai is the worst affected city, which has been totally inundated.
A week after severe flooding Chennai is reaching the post-impact phase of the disaster. According to The India Meteorological Department, cloudy weather will be in Chennai until Tuesday, with heavy rains in some areas, particularly the northern coast of Tamil Nadu.
S.S. Guleria, deputy inspector general of the National Disaster Response Force, said Monday morning that 1,800 of the organization’s personnel were on the ground in Chennai and other affected parts of the state to distribute aid, including food, water and clothes, as well as providing medical assistance.