A family wades through floodwaters in Chennai as thousands of rescuers carrying diving equipment, inflatable boats and medical equipment battled to evacuate victims across the state.
Chennai : Hopelessly stranded in darkness. These words would best sum up the plight of thousands of families in Chennai and its neighbouring distric-ts of Tiruvallur and Kan-cheepuram, who have been confined to their homes without electricity since Tuesday evening amidst rising water levels as unprecedented rains pounded northern Tamil Nadu. It has been less than a week since people who were moved out from flooded homes returned from makeshift camps when nature’s fury tested their endurance a second time. Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said in New Delhi that the situation was “unheard of and is unprecedented”, and promised all help to the beleaguered city and other areas. A joint statement by the India Meteorological Department and Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, said: “Tamil Nadu’s weather is under observation for the next 72 hours as the rain in the next 48 hours is going to be comparatively heavy.” The Police have blocked the wide stretch of Chennai beach as a precaution.
With more rains being predicted for the next three days, residents fear the worst. The most affected areas were the southern suburbs of Tambaram and Mudichur where high rise buildings were marooned. “We were stranded on the terrace and finally a private boatman took us to safety for which he charged Rs 2,000. All our belongings are at home. The flood waters have left our fridge and gadgets in a state of repair and the furniture is moist. We don’t know how and when we will get back home. Right now we are moving to a makeshift camp at a nearby college,” said Mohammed Ali, an IT professional.
It is not just the rains that have marooned Chennai. All reservoirs were brimming to capacity promoting Public Works officials to discharge huge volumes of water and this led to flooding of all low lying areas up to several kilometres. Encroachments on water bodies compounded the problem.
While electricity supply has been disconnected for safety, sewage also began mixing with water sumps adding to the woes of many residents. “There was a complete breakdown of transport services. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses did not ply in full measure. Train services were suspended on various routes. It took me four hours to reach my home, which is just five kilometres away from Anna Salai,” said Mukund, an office-goer. Auto-rickshaws and taxis plied in some parts of Chennai but the operators fleeced commuters. A taxi driver reportedly charged Rs.4,500 to ferry three people from the airport to a hotel.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is expected to undertake an aerial survey of the affected districts. The Government has urged private companies to grant holiday to its employees or allow them to work from home on December 3 and 4. The financial loss may exceed Rs.15,000 crore, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said, while the state government put the total loss at Rs.8,481 crore. The government claimed 72,119 people were housed in 432 relief camps, but thousands were still stranded at the airport and railway stations. The Hindu and Business Standard newspapers did not come out on Wednesday. The Hindu will be published on Thursday, a newspaper employee said.
Telecom service providers and mobile payment solutions providers have come up with free mobile recharges to help the residents stay connected. Movie theatres and malls have come to the rescue of the flood-affected. Hotels were swamped by frantic calls from residents and visitors for accommodation. In many areas, people made makeshift boats by tying up empty barrels to reach safer places. Marriage may not be the first thing on your mind when your life has been disrupted by a torrential downpour — and there is water everywhere. However, braving heavy rain and flooding, many couples across the state capital entered into wedlock on Wednesday, an auspicious day for weddings. In a lighter vein, an organizer of the weddings said “Perhaps the couples who get married must have eaten lots of raw rice in their childhood”, referring to an old saying that those who eat raw rice as children will face heavy rains on their wedding day.’’
Crocodile worries as city goes under :
Chennai: There were fish and tadpoles swimming on the first floor of a house in Chennai. In other parts of the city submerged in waist-deep water — or neck-deep in areas like Annanagar — leeches and snakes have become a big worry for residents. In the circumstances, rumours of crocodiles running loose were denied emphatically by the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. “There have been no escapes. Please don’t believe the rumours. All our crocs are accounted for,” tweeted the trust, promising that their employees were working round the clock and keeping a tab on the animals. The trust explained that its security measures are fool-proof and a wall is built all around the crocodile farm. The Chennai zoo is flooded, apparently for the first time ever. Officials were forced to walk four km to reach it. Heavy rain has damaged a 40-year-old wall around the zoo but officials said all animals are safe. There are over 150 animals in the zoo, including 46 endangered species. Officials denied that animals were out of their cages, a TV channel said.
