Senior Advocates, Madras High Court Legal Services Authority join hands to aid employees affected by Chennai floods

Several senior lawyers from the Madras High Court as well as the High Court Legal Services Authority (HCLSA) have come together to help court employees who have been gravely affected by the Chennai floods caused by cyclonic storm Michaung..The senior lawyers have voluntarily pooled in money and resources to help rescue those marooned in faraway areas due to waterlogged streets, and those unable to step out to get food and other essential resources..On Monday, December 11, Madras High Court Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala will distribute relief packages arranged for by these Senior Advocates to 126 Grade IV employees of the Court, who have been badly affected by the floods..Senior Advocate E Om Prakash, who met with Chief Justice Gangapurwala and the HCLSA earlier this week, said that after the city got flooded on December 4, several senior lawyers began pledging support for the affected employees on WhatsApp groups. They decided to collect resources to help the general public as well as lawyers and court employees.“Senior Counsel AL Somayaji, who is the Convenor of our Tamil Nadu Senior Counsels Forum, volunteered to donate five lakh rupees. After that, several others came forward to make donations. In times of calamity, people get affected vastly, so we thought that at least they should have some monetary help and access to food and clean water. We then met with the Secretary of the HCLSA and the Chief Justice to discuss how we could help others,” Om Prakash said..He revealed that the Chief Justice as well as other judges of the High Court had also offered to help with whatever was needed.“The Chief Justice said he was yet to receive any specific request for help from Court employees, but he said that he himself and the Court were ready to offer any assistance that was needed.".The Seniors have already helped provide food packages, relief material, packaged uncooked rice and vegetables to several members of the general public as well as Court employees.