CHENNAI: Chennai police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal on Sunday felicitated NGOs and volunteers, who have supported and helped in the rescue of destitutes as part of the Chennai police’s “Kaaval Karangal” initiative.

Started by the Chennai police in April 2021 as an initiative to help destitute people in the city, the scheme was lauded by Chief Minister MK Stalin during Independence Day celebrations two weeks ago.

According to Chennai police, 2,735 persons were rescued off the streets in the past one year. Of this, about 2,162 were sent to government shelters while 282 persons were reunited with their families.

Apart from this, 265 persons have been admitted for treatment to the Institute of Mental Health and 26 persons are admitted to government hospitals as in-patients, police said.

Through the initiative, police along with NGOs also gave a decent burial to more than 1,200 persons, whose bodies were unclaimed.

Acknowledging the contribution of NGOs and volunteers for the initiative, about 150 of them were felicitated by Chennai Police Commissioner at an event on Sunday. They were given certificates too.

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android