It probably won’t be an exaggeration to say that Chennai-ites will soon forget what a sunny day looked like. Rains have been battering the state of Tamil Nadu for almost the whole of this month, nearly missing creating a record for the wettest November since 1918.
With Meteorological department officials talking about the convergence of two different weather systems into one large low pressure area, more rain-related woes seem to be on the cards for Chennai. The city has barely recovered from the previous wet spell which left many areas inundated.
Stagnant rainwater mixed with sewage is causing huge problems for residents of different localities. The existing stormwater drains are reportedly choked and can’t take the load of excess rainwater. In addition to bringing normal life to a standstill, such inundation greatly increases the threat of diseases.
However, the Chennai Corporation has pressed into service vans that spray mosquito repellents, in the roads and streets of some localities. Local authorities are also reportedly working with government hospitals to ensure readiness against a possible swine flu outbreak in the nea future.
Unfortunately, more cases of electrocution have been reported this week. Low-hanging overhead electrical cables and open junction boxes in different localities have claimed the lives of pedestrians and motorists.
Officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) are reportedly making a list of junction boxes to be repaired and overhead wiring to be replaced.
We hope such steps prevent more such accidents from occurring.
Some surprising news pouring in yesterday was the caving in of a road at a prominent junction near Adyar, revealing a gaping hole in the concrete that appeared around six feet deep. This stretch was quickly barricaded to prevent accidents, while pictures of the same went viral on social media.
Residents used social media to warn commuters about this spot and other stretches that had caved in in localities like Mylapore, Kotturpuram and the Old Mahabalipuram Road.
Relief efforts continue, with Corporation officials, corporates, voluntary organisations and residents distributing food packets, clothes, blankets and other basic amenities to those rendered destitute by the rains.
In addition to this, some concerned residents have recently bought out a crowd-sourced app called ‘Mapbox’. This app can be used to map inundated roads and even flood relief centres in the vicinity. Such initiatives are laudable.
Causing some cheer online this week were memes about the Director of the Area Cyclone Warning Centre of the Meteorological department, S. R. Ramanan.
The officer has almost acquired celebrity status with the city’s student population, because of his responsibility of declaring rain holidays for schools and colleges based on weather data interpreted by the department. Students worship him for declaring rain holidays for almost the entire month, which has been dubbed ‘No school November’. At least some are happy with the downpours!