Chennai, Dec 4: Rescue operations were in full swing on Thursday in the worst flood-affected areas of Chennai, its suburbs and neighbouring districts that enjoyed a welcome respite from the torrential rain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey and later announced
Rs 1,000 crore additional aid.
Heavy rain, however, continued to lash coastal Cuddalore, Villupuram and Kanyakumari districts and Puducherry as the death toll in the state rose to at least 300. The city remained virtually cut off from the rest of the country with air, rail and roadway connections remaining suspended.
The Grand Southern Trunk Road that links Chennai with Madurai and beyond was cut off as a result of breaches in several places in Kanchipuram district.
The Southern Railway also cancelled all inter and intra-state train services till Saturday while the airport operations remain suspended till Sunday.
The public transport in the city was also crippled as the arterial main roads continued to be waterlogged.
Hardships on the ground
Prices of milk, vegetables and food items skyrocketed because of short supply and people were forced to fork out huge sums for buying essentials. S Thiyagarajan, a software engineer living in Mudichur, said soon after his rescue, “I took some bread packets with me to feed my children and wife.”
The man, who saved his two children by climbing up the first floor of his house soon after the flood entered on Tuesday midnight, added, “Though my house is built more than 5 feet above ground, the water came up six feet into the first floor.” Many pet lovers, who were left stranded, had to leave their pets at home as the rescue teams did not allow them in boats.
Social network-savvy teenagers like Chennu Shankar posted pictures and comments on rain and floods on Facebook but even such initiatives were shortlived as mobile, landline and Internet services came to a grinding halt since Tuesday morning. Even those who witnessed the devastating cyclone “Thane” two years ago said they had never seen something like this.
Rescue teams battle
With the Tsunami-like flood sweeping the state capital and Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts, the rescue teams of the Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Coast Security Group had a horrible time.
A total of 28 NDRF teams with over 1,200 personnel were deployed in Chennai where they rescued around 5,000 people by deploying over 110 boats. Two NDRF teams were also deployed in Puducherry.
Air Force personnel dropped food packets to distressed people living on rooftops. A total of 14 lakh food packets were distributed, the state government said.
As many as 255 Navy personnel were also in action with 12 boats and 15 helicopters.
Painful rescue attempts, including lifting several hundred disabled people with their wheelchairs by the rescue teams, were seen in the flood-affected areas.
“It is very difficult to take our boats to the flooded areas immediately since the water force is very high,” C Sylendra Babu, Additional Director General of Police of the Coastal Security Group, Tamil Nadu, told Deccan Herald.
But even the heroic attempts were not always successful.
The personnel recovered the body of a 55-year-old woman, who drowned in the flood water inside her house, in the badly hit Mudichur area in Chennai suburbs.
“We also pulled several dead bodies from inside the house", an NDRF member said.
Though many hospitals were opened, but shortage of medicines, food and potable water created problems. Even those who wanted to leave the city couldn't do so since the communication was shut.
Prime Minister Modi, who undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Chennai and its suburbs later met Chief Minister J Jayalalitha.
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