God's n Daemons of Chennai

Chennai floods is the buzz word every where, rains have taken a breather, threatening to come back through the weekend, meanwhile we have seen some phenomenal things happening in Chennai. Whether it is thanks to social media or communication modes that are available to us, we could see a new hope for the mankind emerging. 

 It is possible, this could be the situation in a disaster zone, but experiencing this at such close quarters, is indeed a heart warming experience. Chennai a city always starved for water, had the God's benevolence or someones curse, we have been blessed with a record rainfall. Such a record that no wants to even remember it for the record but for the trail of devastation it has left behind.

We can talk about the greed of humans, which ensured all river beds occupied or tanks converted to living areas, agricultural fields becoming residential colonies, with no one bothering to think of drainage or sanitation requirements of these settlements. Do we blame the people who greedily went and settled down out there or politicians/ bureaucrats who made money in the process by allowing all kind of wrongs to be committed or simply blame it on the profit motto of the business men. Should we bracket all these people Daemons, maybe yes.

Unprecedented rains, people who disregard, genuine warnings from a department which is always joked about (Meteorology) and already filled reservoirs, are we not awaiting a disaster to happen. It started happening from the night of the 30th November, Rain pouring without a breather for the next 36 hours, destroyed the hope of any further chance for relief. Warnings were sounded on the 1st afternoon, that the Chembarambakkam reservoir is full and sluice gates will be open. Telling the public, what you have seen is nothing what is in store for you is to be experienced.

Chennai International Airport

As human beings, we have this attitude, that nothing will happen or is it more for we Indians, i don't know, but people poor or rich never heeded the warning. It is also possible in that pouring rain no one wanted to venture out anywhere, hoping that the water will not reach them. Problem is no one understand the measures that are reeled out to us in terms of cusecs and TMC's (normal measure of water used by the irrigation department).

We are all typical television soap viewers or Internet lovers, we ignored what was about to happen. Some numbers for the benefit of the readers to understand the gravity of the situation

Chennai's drinking water needs estimated per day at 1200 million litres

1 TMC = 28000 Million litres (23 days drinking water requirements)

1 TMC = 11000 Cusecs/day

Water that was released from the Chembarambakkam reservoir on the 1st evening was 20000 cu secs approximately 2 TMC, that is 46 days drinking water requirement in one day, it didn't stop there, water was continued to be released the next day too.

By 2nd morning the Adayar river started
swelling and water started entering areas which were never thought to be flood prone. Airport was one of the first to be affected since the river flows in its backyard, water that was not flowing into the sea started flowing into the city (we have to remember we are just crossed the full moon day (25th Nov), which normally is associated with a high tide). Areas like Chormepet, Tambaram started receiving the reservoir water, cutting of the GST road access from the city. Not only this excess water started flowing down south reaching Katankalattur, Urapakkam etc, putting many colleges and other businesses in peril.

Usual rain damage had occurred in the low lying areas like Valecherry and OMR etc. Added to the misery the excess discharge from other lakes including Chembarambakkam, reached Cooum river (normally called the sewer line of the city) and started swelling its banks too. In a city where these two rivers trifurcate the topogrpahy both being swollen to the brim and overflowing, started flooding all the low lying areas. While rain stopped by 2nd December early hours, the water continued to come into the city from the Chembarambakkam lake and ensured the obstruction to the relief work.

Saidapet Bridge

With water logging in most parts of the city, power switch off was necessitated to ensure there is no power leakages. With this communication systems started collapsing. People who were struck in water logged areas, started loosing their batteries in their phones and the touch with the rest of the world. With trins stopped, buses unable to ply the traffic literally came to a standstill, even traffic was not allowed on certain bridges where the water was either flowing above the bridges or touching the bridges.

Confusion, chaos followed, 'Human Gods' started emerging from no where, the good Samaritans started opening their hearts first and rest started happening. A huge human bond emerged (national media, which was caught off guard, needed time to mobilise and the city was cut off from the rest of the world in terms of access), people offered their homes, businesses opened their premises for accommodation, organisations started quickly collecting relief material, every thing started falling in place. Help needed, people started reaching out, social media helped in sharing communication (of course the job less where busy creating rumours too). 

Communications started failing, with towers not having power, gen sets not operating due to lack of fuel, a new difficulty started setting in. By then the central govt rose to the occasion and deployed armed forces along with NDRF. The forces which are trained to carryout their task in a  disciplined way, started helping the people in distress, food was reached first slowly people were made to vacate their homes, in some cases 15 feet in water.

Air sorties were made, relief material air dropped, people picked up, medical camps both from the govt and private sector started helping people. Students were evacuated from hostels, film stars from their homes, Rich and famous from their villas, poor from their dwellings, no discrimination and with lots of discipline. 'Human Gods' were every where

Best thing happening was all the efforts were not politicised, civil servants working overtime, even the naysayers asked to shut up by others on social media. Blame later, involve first was the motto and the city started slowly coming out of the confusion, the damage assessment could be much later, with thousands of vehicles marooned, buildings loosing their valuables, offices having water entering their premises (damaging computers/furniture etc), warehouses inundated, loss of productivity, loss in terms of human and animal life, children loosing out on academics, this is all for later, no doubt there will be lot of flak and many people having to answer and surely few fall guys will emerge. But for now it is time to say i am safe to my near and dear.

Human Gods could be an aam admi or from the armed forces, Police, TNEB, COC my salutes to them for the selfless work that they carryout.

All pictures taken from the net, Copyright rests with the respective owners