In the aftermath of Cyclone Michaug’s impact on Chennai and its neighboring districts on December 04th, a team of 45 people comprising of Rapido’s city leadership team including 25 captains and 15 local fishermen, have been navigating across the flooded areas in Chennai via boats to help transport 500+ affected individuals to safety. They have also delivered food and dry rations to 300+ stranded residents.
Currently, with the help of 5 boats, the team is conducting its relief and rescue operations in the regions of Anna Nagar and Velachery, including its sub localities Baby Nagar, Tansi Nagar, VGP Selva Nagar, and Bhuvaneshwari Nagar. Rapido is working hard to secure 5 more boats so that they can reach areas that have been rendered completely inaccessible, and securely transport the residents who have been stranded there to safety.
Thiru Nishant Krishna, Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, Govt. of Tamil Nadu joined the Rapido Captains and the local fishermen of Chennai to assist with the relief work. Rapido is continuing with its mission of offering effective mobility solutions, albeit through a different mode this time, to ensure that necessary aid and supplies reach individuals and communities in the affected areas promptly and effectively.
On this note, Pavan Guntupalli, Co-founder of Rapido, said, “By ensuring the safe evacuation of affected residents and transporting essential supplies to them, the efforts of local fishermen in helping the Rapido team is truly remarkable. We are also extremely grateful to Mr. Nishant Krishna for consistently and tirelessly working with our team on ground to reach out and address the immediate needs of those adversely affected by Cyclone Michaug.”
Recognizing the imperative need for expanding the ongoing rescue and relief operations, he added, “In times of crisis like these, we need to tap into the unity and collaborative spirit of the community so as to significantly alleviate the immediate hardships faced by the affected residents. We are trying our best to give all the necessary support to our team at the frontline so that they can effectively navigate the flooded streets, bring people to safety and provide critical assistance to those in distress, laying the groundwork for recovery in the aftermath of the cyclone.”
While the rescue and relief operations go on, the Rapido team will continue to facilitate necessary aid and support to affected individuals. In doing so, the team aims to contribute significantly to the ongoing recovery efforts and help restore normalcy in the lives of those impacted by Cyclone Michaug.
