A brief report on flood relief conducted by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai in Tamil Nadu: Torrential rains caused by cyclonic depression led to floods in some districts of Tamil Nadu last month, leaving in its wake several deaths and hundreds homeless. Our Chennai Math centre served 64,400 plates of cooked food to 9550 flood victims in 30 villages of Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.

     Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai is one of the many branches of Sri Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded in 1897. They are all part of a worldwide spiritual movement which endeavors to harmonize all religions, the East and the West, the ancient and the modern, spiritual fulfillment, all-around development of human faculties, social equality, and peace for all humanity without and distinctions of creed, caste, race, or nationality. The organization has a long history of relief work conducting programs in India, Burma, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka following disasters and conflict situations.

In the year 2008, the cyclone storm Nisha caused heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu followed by breach of river embankments and severe flood in the State – the worst in the last 25 years.  Many houses and roads were washed away, and agriculture was badly affected. Our Chennai Math immediately started relief operations among the flood victims. It distributed 10,000 kg rice, 1000 blankets, 1000 mats, 1000 saris, 1000 dhotis, 3000 children’s garments, 1000 bags and 1000 towels to 1000 flood-affected families belonging to 24 villages of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur district.