Chennai: The rains in Chennai virtually broke a 100-year-old record with one day’s rainfall covering a month’s average two columns of Army’s Garrison Infantry Battalion were pressed into service in Tambaram and Oorapakkam after the Tamil Nadu government sought military assistance.
The Met department hit the bull’s eye Tuesday as it rained, rained and rained some more with the city receiving more than enough water to sink it. Normal life was only an abstract term as students, office-goers and even normally stay-at-home.
Air traffic thrown out of gear in Chennai
Chennaites were affected by the deluge that rocked the city, causing even more despair and inflicting water woes just as the city was recovering from the setbacks of an extremely rainy November.
Those who were brave enough to take their vehicles out on the streets soon regretted their decision to override the Met office expert opinion as traffic chaos had gripped vehicular movement right across the city. Rain-water took over the arterial Anna Salai and the Jawaharlal Nehru 100 feet road, which connects Kathipara to Koyambedu, as moto-rists were spotted pulling their stalled motorcycles along.
Commuters were hit as the MTC suspended several of its services while, without power, residents were affected as they could not cook food or have easy access to essentials like drinking water etc.
Air traffic was severely affected with pilots and cabin crew unable to reach the airport in time for duty, Air passengers landing in Chennai had to wait an interminable time on the ground too as offloading of passengers was slow, particularly in the non-aerobridge flights.
Smaller hospitals and clinics were inundated and special help was needed to get in-patients to safer areas above the water level. Daily commuters were hit as suburban rail services were running slow and way behind schedule and several services were curtailed due to waterlogging of tracks.
The Metro service was extended by an hour into the night on the 10-km stretch helping those living within reach but it was a logistical nightmare for anyone who had to go out on the streets for work or travel. With rainfall refusing to cease throughout the day, the fear of several lakes in and around the city breaching gripped residents living close to water bodies.
