The Hindu : Front Page : Chennaiites coping with the aftermath of rain havoc

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 29, 2005

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Chennaiites coping with the aftermath of rain havoc

Staff Reporter

Inundated streets, lack of power supply and difficulty in getting relief plague residents

IN TROUBLED WATERS: Residents leaving their homes at Pulianthope, which was flooded following heavy rain on Thursday. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI: Thousands of residents of Chennai and its suburbs on Friday struggled to cope with inundated streets and lack of power supply for the second day after heavy rain in the last two days.

Several houses at Pulianthope, Vyasarpadi, Perambur, Kolathur and the nearby areas in North Chennai and Velachery, Madipakkam and Taramani in the South remained cut off. Relief efforts continued till late in the night.

Three persons — an old man at M.K.B.Nagar, Vyasarpadi, a woman in Secretariat Colony, Kilpauk, and a pavement dweller at Saidapet — were found dead.

Though government agencies along with the Army and Coast Guards distributed food in the affected areas throughout the day, there was growing concern over drinking water supply and sanitation and food materials. Relief workers distributed food to more than three lakh persons till noon but the demand was growing in the evening. Several State Ministers and senior officials were on the field supervising the relief works.

The 24-hour-helpline of Chennai Corporation was flooded with calls throughout the day. Some corporation offices in the Basin Bridge and Pulianthope zones could not be contacted. Officials said even the offices were flooded and asked the residents to call Ripon Buildings.

(Helpline: 2538 1330 and 2538 4670).

Several residents left stranded on high-rise buildings at Kolathur, MKB Nagar and Perambur-Pattalaim pleaded for help. The relief workers were unable to reach some areas till noon.

Since the downpour on Thursday (40 cm in 24 hours till 11 p.m.), Government agencies accommodated over 3 lakh persons in 143 relief centres across the city. Officials supervising the relief works in North Chennai said the region's main drain, Otteri Nullah, continued to overflow and water from the storm water drain network was unable to drain out. A senior official said: "We hope water will drain out by tomorrow evening."

Southern suburbs

Velachery and Madipakkam in the south were among the most badly affected areas.

Eight Coast Guard divers made several trips to the affected parts to rescue those stranded. Coast Guard Deputy Commandant T. Ashish and Assistant Commandant S.S. Sharma said nearly 1,000 persons, including children and pregnant woman, were rescued from Ram Nagar, Srinivasan Nagar, Padmavathy Nagar and Bhagirathi Nagar.

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