Telecom service providers — Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL — and mobile payment solutions providers have come up with free mobile recharges to help the Chennai residents stay connected during the flood.

Bharti Airtel has announced it will provide auto approval of ‘Talk Time’ credit up to Rs 30 for all Airtel prepaid mobile customers.

It will give free of cost credit of 10 minutes of Airtel-to-Airtel calling for prepaid mobile customers with a validity of two days.

The company will give free of cost credit of 50 MB mobile data for Airtel prepaid mobile customers with a validity of two days and its post-paid and fixed line customers whose bills are due to be paid immediately will get an extended time to make the payment and will experience uninterrupted services.

Life in the Tamil Nadu capital was virtually crippled on Wednesday as fresh downpours worsened an already disastrous flood situation, posing a danger to thousands of people in low-lying areas.

Soldiers joined the rescue and relief work and rescued 65 men and women till Wednesday afternoon, officials said, adding that more troops were on their way to Chennai from Bengaluru.

“To enable customers to remain connected in this precarious time in flood hit Chennai, Vodafone is offering pre-approved ‘chhota credit’ of Rs.10 to all pre-paid customers and a credit of 10 minutes for Vodafone to Vodafone calling,” said Vodafone India in a statement.

“In addition, free 100 MB mobile data is being offered to all customers with data enabled handsets. The validity of the talk time credit and free data is two days. For post-paid customers whose bills are due for payment immediately, the time to make the payment is being extended,” Vodafone added.

“The incessant rains, unprecedented floods and power outages in Chennai have resulted in disruption of some of our services. While voice services were intermittent, data services were impacted. Significant proportion of these have now been restored in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The situation in Chennai remains challenging,” said Vodafone India.

State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) said it will offer free calls, data services to its customers in Chennai for seven days.

Mobile payment and commerce platform, Paytm, has provided a helpline 18001030033 and asked its customers to share the mobile number that they want to get topped-up. “Paytm will facilitate a Rs 30 recharge instantly and absolutely free of cost,” said Paytm in a statement.

Image source: Hindustan Times

IANS