About my favorite city...CHENNAI
Could not bear to see TV and the News channels last week.
Dec 5 2015 - 5am - Took a short weekend trip to Chennai.
As I got closer to
Sriperumbadur...10am looked like 8pm...gloomy dark ominous clouds...stopped in
a couple of places to check if the Porur-Guindy route was open or should I take
the Koyembedu, Beach road, Adyar route ...heavy down pour started...worried...but
had to make a decision. Till Friday, Guindy was closed due to flooding. I was
getting into Poonamallee Road as I entered the city. Cops said Porur-Guindy
roads were open as if this morning...was not sure if I should trust them..just
then rain stopped and there was some brightness...Saw a MTC bus that said
Saidapet via Porur, Guindy. Took the Porur road and headed towards Guindy.
Drove in Poonamallee Road with close to 1-2 feet water in the road.
Next decision was whether or not to
take the OMR Tidel park via Madhyakailash or the LB road...inclined to latter
although cop said madhyakailash ok to go. Just last week large part of the
Madhya Kailash road caved in due to rains and water supposedly entered Tidel
Park from Buckingham Canal overflow (rumors? may be?)
Tidel park road clear.
Reached Thiruvanmiyur...circled
#368...our house which was locked as I moved my parents (over phone) to Besant
nagar. Checked out if all was ok with our house...Found 2 streets on either side were water logged but
not the street in front of us. The house behind ours was flooded - few inches
of water inside the ground floor. Ours was spared. There were streets our neighbourhood that needed
boats to rescue the elderly.
Flooding
spared no streets - Sivasundar avenue, Shastri Nagar were a few that were
flooded in and around Kalakshetra.
Reached Besant nagar where my parents
were hanging out with their friends the last 4 days with no power or phone
connection.
Help & relief aid poured into
the city from all direction. Just driving from Bangalore I saw several trucks
and cars coming with supplies - our Innova was one of those. Had the
opportunity to work with 4 different volunteers in 4 Hrs and was able to get
supplies to different parts of the city. Volunteer lists through Facebook,
Whatsapp and FM radio did wonders. Many youngsters were out in the streets,
helping...FM radio stations converted full time to connect people with needs to
volunteers with supplies...
In the morning, I saw long lines at gas
stations. Evening looked much better - lines grew short in the Indra Nagar Gas
Station on LB Road. ATMs had long queues. Radio stations advised people to take minimal
amount from ATM so many can take money vs just a few.
4pm to 8pm helped distributing the supplies I loaded in my van from Bangalore...
Delivered water and milk to 4 elderly
couple marooned in water in Shastri nagar.
Delivered water milk biscuits, bedsheets
and pillow covers to Chetpet flood victims (800 families stranded).
Delivered Dhotis to elderly homeless on
street
Delivered clothes (sorted) and toilet
supplies to families in pallavakkam through a church and an enthusiastic parish
who coordinated it.
Thanks to Priya, Jaya for all the
supplies, my dad for the timely bed sheets, Arvind my friend for connecting me
to so many wonderful volunteers.
Satruday (Dec 5) in Chennai saw minimal downpour...God has been kind finally.
Love the city and heard parts of it
already saying jujjubi :)
Sunday (Dec 6th): Drove back with my parents and
another elderly gentleman who was stuck in Chennai
and desperately wanted to get to Madurai.
Rain started and intensified as we left
Chennai at 6am to drive back to Bangalore. Heavy down pour and dark clouds till
we got to Ranipet.
The worst hit areas still in trouble as
help and aid cannot reach as easily. It has been a nightmare and will take a long
time to recover. Help and Aid is not the issue, getting them to the right
people is the challenge. But found many NGO and relief camps doing an awesome
job of collecting, sorting and distributing aid. Scope and true extent of
damage will be known only when rain stops and the water starts to drain out.
Postal Services resumed on Saturday Dec 5 2015 -
Day after the floods
Spirit of Chennai is alive and that spirit can see the city bounce back.
Time to drive change, Challenge the system & raise above the flood.
Clean the mess from the flood of corruption !!
