B. Manikandan, a surfer at Kovalam, received a call from his friend Vishal Narayanaswamy, who runs Gourmet Garden, on Tuesday, asking if he could help deliver vegetables and fruits.
Along with Mr. Manikandan, six surfers have delivered nearly 100 orders to various families affected by floods in several areas across the city, with onions and tomatoes being the top picks. “There may be hundreds of people, with children and senior citizens who may not be able to step out and will urgently need vegetables and fruits, which are essential. So, we thought we can seek the help of surfers who can deliver it for people who desperately need it,” he said.
Gourmet Garden has joined hands with Ocean Delight Surf School to bring farm fresh vegetables and fruits to residents here in the city reeling under floods. Armed with surf boards, six surfers from the school have been going to many affected areas in the city, including Velachery, K.K. Nagar, West Mambalam, T. Nagar and Madipakkam. “We arrive at the Guindy office of Gourmet Garden India and leave from here for delivery with the boards in mini tempos. In areas where there is more than two feet water, we use the surfing boards to deliver or if it less than that, we walk down,” Mr. Manikandan says.U. Dinesh, hub manager of Gourmet Garden India, says if a resident books an order the previous night, they try to deliver the item the next day.
