Rain has been unrelenting ~ there was so much of it on 23rd – and yesterday too [1st Dec] there was heavy rain – it rained continuously. Record-shattering torrential rains brought Chennai to its knees on Wednesday as widespread flooding shut down the airport and factories of top automobile companies, while trains packed with passengers were rendered immobile on submerged tracks. Today, the rain relented a little by afternoon but a drizzle under overcast skies continued amid reports of rising water level in many parts of the state capital as well as its adjoining districts.
The city remained off limits as cars, trucks and buses could not enter or go out of it. Several feet of water blocked most of its main roads and dangerous sink holes appeared on many streets. Some reports put that more than a lakh of people have been driven away from their homes as a 100 year old record of one day’s rainfall covering a month’s average, was virtually broken. Triplicane, fortunately is not affected badly. Today Thiruvallikkeni buzzed with activity. Srinivas Youngmens Association [SYMA] organised relief work. We organised sets of raincoats for Corporation workers [must place on record the great work they are doing in many parts of the city]. We arranged a mini-truck, carried relief material including mats, new blankets, new sarees, rice bags and food packets. Friends of Thennacharya Sri Padham Thangi Sabha also distributed food packets at many places. They joined with SYMA and handed over 200 food packets. We planned to handover the materials to Seva Barathi at Tambaram and traveled via Poonamallee High Road, Maduravoyal bridge. There was water, water and more …. On way saw river in spates and water flowing on roads in some places. Could not move beyond Thiruneermalai and were forced to return back – distributing food on the way. At Anakaputhur, it was a pathetic sight – people at housetops – water running like a small river – marooned, we could not move them out – but provided them food, blanket, mats – passing them through rope. We finally distributed the relief material at Maduravoyil Govt High School and returned home. Planning to organize food packets tomorrow too ~ glad to see that many other Organisations and individuals too are engaged in providing succour. With regards – S. Sampathkumar [Secretary, SYMA]
2nd Dec 2015