In order to compensate for the loss of livelihood of those living in low-income neighbourhoods in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will provide them with cooked food till December 13. Food will be provided for all three meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- to those living in these areas.

According to reports, the initiative was started by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday. The GCC has identified 888 slums across the city to carry out the scheme. The GCC has also identified workers in each of these areas to cook the food and provide it to the residents.

Officials have also begun assessing the economic damage in these areas due to COVID-19 pandemic and the heavy rains brought in by cyclone Nivar and Burevi recently. Around 26 lakh residents of 5.3 lakh families are expected to benefit out of the cooked food initiative by the GCC.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami recently held a meeting to discuss the impact of cyclones Nivar and Burevi and instructed the officials to take stock of the situation. He also reportedly ordered the officials to visit the houses affected by waterlogging and inundation and provide the families with clean food, drinking water and milk powder to the children living there.

Apart from this, each affected family is being provided with 10 kgs of rice, fresh clothes, 1 litre of kerosene, 1 kg of lentils and cooking oil. Thirty-four medical camps and 43 mobile medical teams have also been pressed into service to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19 among the residents in these areas.

Meanwhile, activists and researchers have urged the civic body to include those who have lost their livelihoods due to COVID-19 in the scheme and also to set up community kitchens where food can be cooked so that the people will have some employment opportunity in these dire times.