“Cuddalore is just not the disaster zone people are making it out to be”

Siddharth who spent two days in Cuddalore to oversee the relief measures also travelled to the nook and corner of the district to understand the situation from groud zero. He reached Chennai last night and took to social media today to explain the ground reality in Cuddalore.

“Back from Cuddalore. Learnings.

1.Send bedding and blankets, Mosquito coil, .

2.Send smaller trucks that can go on kuchha roads.

3.Identify groups that are addressing the hard to reach hamlets.

4.Prioritize small villages away from main road.

5.Do not use relief labels or banners on trucks. They be will be attacked.

6.Find local teams that have police support.

7.Do not send provisions unless you know where they will be cooked and served.

8.Cuddalore needs help. It doesn’t need panic. Doesn’t need stockpiling of unnecessary items or over supplying some places.

9.We went to 15 villages. Many of these were described as drowning, starving, unserviced on social media. NOT TRUE.

10.Do not comment on cuddalore from outside. There are places that are struggling. Do not confuse relief work. Be concerned. Not dramatic. #TNflood”

He also added that he is re-grouping with Balaji today to shift focus on the rehabilitation of flood-hit victims. “I said cuddalore needs help. It’s just not the disaster zone people are making it out to be. We have an action plan for Cuddalore. Let’s be sensible, efficient and realistic about how to help the people of #Cuddalore,” added Siddharth.