The entire world is helping flood-hit Kerala to get back on its feet. And now, the state prisoners have taken the responsibility to feed those living in the relief camps across the state.
According to the report, the convicts of Central Prison in Thiruvananthapuram made baby food and thousands of chapatis along with vegetable curry for the flood victims and rescue teams. Around 20,000 food packets and 50,000 water bottles were deported from the prisons for those stranded in marooned houses.
As per the jail authorities, prisoners prepared around 40,000-50,000 chapatis on an average last week. "Our food packets were used mainly for airdropping to the people stranded in rooftops and isolated building," a senior prison official was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. Despite the heavy workload, around 120 prisoners were working round the clock in different shifts, he added.
The food packets were being provided with packaged jam and water, however, the demand for chapati packets has decreased as the rescue mission is almost over. Notably, the authorities were taking care of the hygiene of food products. "District prisons in Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kollam, too, have been providing food to the camps. In Viyyur, the inmates of the Central prison provided kanji to victims housed nearby," DIG of Prisons Santosh informed The News Minute.
These packets were handed over to the victims with the help of district officials.
In addition, the prisoners fed hundreds of fishermen and rescue officials, including NDRF, Army, Navy and Coastguard who were involved in the rescue operations.
The inmates of several prisons across the state also said that they would donate their daily wages to the CM's flood relief fund. The Kannur Central jail inmates have donated up to 4.5 lakh to the relief fund from their hard earned money.
