Maharashtra sex workers survive on one meal a day to donate Rs 1 lakh for Chennai aid

Mumbai: Sex workers from Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district dipped into their savings and survived on just one meal a day to collect Rs 1 lakh as a donation towards relief work in rain-ravaged Chennai. The women handed over a cheque to the district collector Anil Kawade on Monday at an event organised by NGO Snehalaya in Ahmednagar. [caption id=“attachment_1792301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sex workers in India. AFP.[/caption] Of the around 3,000 sex workers in the district in western Maharashtra, almost 2,000 contributed to the relief fund, Snehalaya founder Girish Kulkarni said. “These women were restless when they came to know of the deluge in Chennai. They decided that they should do something to help residents there… We are in touch with Delhi-based NGO Goonj for ensuring further relief to the people of Chennai,” he added. Rains have been lashing the Tamil Nadu coast for the past week, flooding the capital city of Chennai and surrounding districts, forcing thousands out of their homes and into relief camps with meagre amenities. Though the rain has reduced in intensity and frequency, the damage done has raised chances of an epidemic outbreak while people attempt to get the city back on track. PTI