#Special Report- Chennai floods: water recedes, anger persists
Weeks of heavy rain and flooding in Chennai, one of the largest cities in India, had left the people in the metropolitan area stranded with no public transportation or electricity. Floodwaters have receded in some parts and rescue operations continue, but the situation in the flood-hit areas still remains difficult as life slowly tries to limp back to normalcy.
The good, the bad and the ugly
The floods in Chennai and its suburbs, which have put millions into misery also showed the good, bad and the ugly sides of people and organisations.
On the positive side, several individuals opened up their residences to strangers caught in the floods and provided food and shelter. Without waiting for the official agencies, many individuals started offering food, blankets and more to the ones affected. Those who had access to Internet posted messages on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter about stranded people so that help could reach them.
There were—and are—unscrupulous traders who jacked up the prices of milk, eggs and vegetables. But there are those who stuck to honest trading practice.
"We sell milk and other essential items at normal rates. We have not jacked up the prices. In fact, I donated cooked food to the flood-hit which cost me Rs.60,000," Muthu, owner of Angalaparameswari Stores, a provision store in Mylapore in south Chennai said.
Voluntary organisations and others gave away food and biscuit packets near water-logged areas.
On the bad side, apart from traders who jacked up prices of essential commodities, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers fleeced people even for travelling short distances.
"Why blame the auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers? Look at private airlines. They ripped off passengers by charging sky-high rates to fly people out of Bengaluru to Delhi," T.E.N. Simhan, a private sector employee said.
"Is it not an irony when even common people are contributing their bit to the flood affected, airlines took advantage of people's distress," he asked.
With Chennai Airport closed for days due to flooding of the runway, many people from other places reached Bengaluru to fly out to their destinations.
Surinder Singh of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) told that he paid a whopping Rs.25,600 to a private airline to fly to Delhi out of Bengaluru.
According to reports, vandals are breaking into locked houses in flood-hit areas in Chennai and swimming away with valuables.
Rescue operations underway
An intermittent drizzle since Saturday morning added to worries of Chennai residents, battling the worst floods in a century, and now facing a shortage of drinking water and power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an exgratia relief of Rs. 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the Tamil Nadu floods while relief of Rs. 50,000 has also been sanctioned for those seriously injured. At least 325 people have been killed so far.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), which met in New Delhi with Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha presiding, reviewed the situation and announced seven truckloads of dry ready-to-eat food had reached Chennai and 20 trucks were on the way while the railways will supply two more lakh bottles of drinking water.
Sinha directed that necessary steps should be taken to restore telecom services while the petroleum ministry was taking steps for the availability of petroleum products. State-run banks said they will work on Sunday. A union health ministry team will also soon visit the state to assess the situation.
Armed forces and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams continued operations, switching focus from rescue to relief while the army said it has deployed four medical teams to deal with anticipated problems. Transport links were being slowly restored, with train services expected to resume from Monday, while limited civil flights continued from the naval airbase.
Unlike some areas such as Mylapore, Adyar and Annasalai, where the water level has receded and electricity supply partially restored, people in many pockets in north Chennai continued to remain cut off.
Air, train services resume, but Chennai is angry
Partial air and train services resumed in Chennai after days of disruption caused by heavy rain and floods.
Chennai appeared to be split into two—one (mostly northern parts) and suburbs still under flood water and without power, and another where water levels have receded and electricity supply has been restored.
The situation appeared to be no different in the other three Tamil Nadu districts Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore. Adding further worries to Chennai is the prediction of more heavy rains following low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
Much to the relief of passengers stuck here due to cancelled flights and trains, the Chennai airport began operating flights on the domestic routes during the day.
Regular services from Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore—the two main railway stations— have resumed. Chennai's bus services have also improved a bit. Services of mobile and landline phones are patchy, but the supply of oil to fuel stations has improved, officials said.
Despite the rains, the water level was receding in several areas but residents were beset with numerous problems. Large parts of the capital are still without electricity, seriously disrupting life.
Chennai is clearly angry. People blamed the apathy of civic authorities for the flooding of their homes—and the near destruction of everything they possessed.
Kodambakkam area residents complained about stagnant sewage water for the past several days.
"No official agency brought us any food or drinking water. Only the residents of [the] neighbourhood gave us biscuits and water," an angry resident of MGR Nagar in Ramapuram in Thiruvallur told the media.
While ministers are overseeing the relief efforts, they are not available for comments. Even Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy does not talk to the media. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa made an aerial survey of the affected areas last weekend.
Some two lakh acres of paddy, sugarcane and other crops have been destroyed in Cuddalore district alone. According to industry body ASSOCHAM, the loss due to floods will be around Rs.15,000 crore.
Residents in some Chennai neighbourhoods complained about continued water logging.
Thousands have taken shelter under flyovers and in buildings. Supplies of milk and vegetable showed a marked improvement in parts of Chennai. The military continued its rescue and relief work. But there were complaints that relief material had not reached many areas in north Chennai, causing widespread anger.
Weeks of heavy rain and flooding in Chennai, one of the largest cities in India, had left the people in the metropolitan area stranded with no public transportation or electricity. Floodwaters have receded in some parts and rescue operations continue, but the situation in the flood-hit areas still...
Weeks of heavy rain and flooding in Chennai, one of the largest cities in India, had left the people in the metropolitan area stranded with no public transportation or electricity. Floodwaters have receded in some parts and rescue operations continue, but the situation in the flood-hit areas still remains difficult as life slowly tries to limp back to normalcy.
The good, the bad and the ugly
The floods in Chennai and its suburbs, which have put millions into misery also showed the good, bad and the ugly sides of people and organisations.
On the positive side, several individuals opened up their residences to strangers caught in the floods and provided food and shelter. Without waiting for the official agencies, many individuals started offering food, blankets and more to the ones affected. Those who had access to Internet posted messages on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter about stranded people so that help could reach them.
There were—and are—unscrupulous traders who jacked up the prices of milk, eggs and vegetables. But there are those who stuck to honest trading practice.
"We sell milk and other essential items at normal rates. We have not jacked up the prices. In fact, I donated cooked food to the flood-hit which cost me Rs.60,000," Muthu, owner of Angalaparameswari Stores, a provision store in Mylapore in south Chennai said.
Voluntary organisations and others gave away food and biscuit packets near water-logged areas.
On the bad side, apart from traders who jacked up prices of essential commodities, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers fleeced people even for travelling short distances.
"Why blame the auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers? Look at private airlines. They ripped off passengers by charging sky-high rates to fly people out of Bengaluru to Delhi," T.E.N. Simhan, a private sector employee said.
"Is it not an irony when even common people are contributing their bit to the flood affected, airlines took advantage of people's distress," he asked.
With Chennai Airport closed for days due to flooding of the runway, many people from other places reached Bengaluru to fly out to their destinations.
Surinder Singh of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) told that he paid a whopping Rs.25,600 to a private airline to fly to Delhi out of Bengaluru.
According to reports, vandals are breaking into locked houses in flood-hit areas in Chennai and swimming away with valuables.
Rescue operations underway
An intermittent drizzle since Saturday morning added to worries of Chennai residents, battling the worst floods in a century, and now facing a shortage of drinking water and power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an exgratia relief of Rs. 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the Tamil Nadu floods while relief of Rs. 50,000 has also been sanctioned for those seriously injured. At least 325 people have been killed so far.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), which met in New Delhi with Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha presiding, reviewed the situation and announced seven truckloads of dry ready-to-eat food had reached Chennai and 20 trucks were on the way while the railways will supply two more lakh bottles of drinking water.
Sinha directed that necessary steps should be taken to restore telecom services while the petroleum ministry was taking steps for the availability of petroleum products. State-run banks said they will work on Sunday. A union health ministry team will also soon visit the state to assess the situation.
Armed forces and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams continued operations, switching focus from rescue to relief while the army said it has deployed four medical teams to deal with anticipated problems. Transport links were being slowly restored, with train services expected to resume from Monday, while limited civil flights continued from the naval airbase.
Unlike some areas such as Mylapore, Adyar and Annasalai, where the water level has receded and electricity supply partially restored, people in many pockets in north Chennai continued to remain cut off.
Air, train services resume, but Chennai is angry
Partial air and train services resumed in Chennai after days of disruption caused by heavy rain and floods.
Chennai appeared to be split into two—one (mostly northern parts) and suburbs still under flood water and without power, and another where water levels have receded and electricity supply has been restored.
The situation appeared to be no different in the other three Tamil Nadu districts Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore. Adding further worries to Chennai is the prediction of more heavy rains following low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
Much to the relief of passengers stuck here due to cancelled flights and trains, the Chennai airport began operating flights on the domestic routes during the day.
Regular services from Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore—the two main railway stations— have resumed. Chennai's bus services have also improved a bit. Services of mobile and landline phones are patchy, but the supply of oil to fuel stations has improved, officials said.
Despite the rains, the water level was receding in several areas but residents were beset with numerous problems. Large parts of the capital are still without electricity, seriously disrupting life.
Chennai is clearly angry. People blamed the apathy of civic authorities for the flooding of their homes—and the near destruction of everything they possessed.
Kodambakkam area residents complained about stagnant sewage water for the past several days.
"No official agency brought us any food or drinking water. Only the residents of [the] neighbourhood gave us biscuits and water," an angry resident of MGR Nagar in Ramapuram in Thiruvallur told the media.
While ministers are overseeing the relief efforts, they are not available for comments. Even Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy does not talk to the media. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa made an aerial survey of the affected areas last weekend.
Some two lakh acres of paddy, sugarcane and other crops have been destroyed in Cuddalore district alone. According to industry body ASSOCHAM, the loss due to floods will be around Rs.15,000 crore.
Residents in some Chennai neighbourhoods complained about continued water logging.
Thousands have taken shelter under flyovers and in buildings. Supplies of milk and vegetable showed a marked improvement in parts of Chennai. The military continued its rescue and relief work. But there were complaints that relief material had not reached many areas in north Chennai, causing widespread anger.
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