Mahalakshmi, Valar, Osanna, Hemalatha and Sandhya – all residing at the 15th Cross Street in Kannagi Nagar – can aptly be termed as COVID-19 warriors of the locality.
Soon after the outbreak, the women took police permission and cordoned off their street and ensured that the stretch was clean and the people in their area wore masks.
Thanks to women like them, Kannagi Nagar has transformed from a locality where, until a month ago, people roamed around without a mask, unmindful of the virus, to an area where 95 % of the residents have started following safety measures including handwash hygiene and personal distancing.
“We heard that one person in the locality was infected by the COVID-19 virus. Hence, the five of us went and took police permission to block our stretch, having eight buildings, to prevent outsiders from coming in. We then kept water mixed with Dettol, turmeric and neem at the entrance and ensured that all the residents washed their hands before entering,” said Ms. Mahalakshmi.
The entire Kannagi Nagar now knows about this particular lane.
GCC provides masks
T. C. Karuna, former AIADMK councillor, said that when cases started cropping up in Kannagi Nagar, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) began implementing containment measures.
The GCC recently distributed 18,000 masks to residents of Kannagi Nagar and have installed handwash facility with wash basin in 16 places across Kannagi Nagar.
“There are 100 COVID -19 positive cases now and 49 have been discharged. Hearing their experiences people became frightened and are now following all safety measures. The GCC also has provided all facilities,” he said.
S. Nandini, another resident, said now all the residents were using the handwash facility and wearing masks. “Residents had money to buy masks, but were negligent. They thought the virus won’t affect them,” she said.
Meanwhile the GCC and TNSCB are regularly disinfecting the locality. “We have also provided sanitisers and 18,000 packs of sanitary napkin for the women. We identified 3,500 families without ration cards in the locality and provided dry rations for them,” said T. Padmanabhan, Executive Engineer, Zone 15.