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Rescue personnel help Chennai stay afloat
As torrential rain pounded Chennai and Tamil Nadu districts for the fifth day, throwing normal life out of gear and submerging several neighbourhoods, a phalanx of relief and rescue workers kept the city afloat and kept its civic infrastructure from completely collapsing.
At 7am on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Police inspector E Rajeshwari walked into the TP Chatram police station in Chennai, keenly aware that the day ahead was going to be tough. City roads were already marooned by overnight showers and panicked residents in low-lying areas were calling out for help as water levels rose.
The first task for the police team was to remove a large tree that had been felled by strong winds and was blocking a road. “We were working on removing the big tree when I received information about a man who had fallen unconscious in a nearby cemetery,” said Rajeshwari.
Within minutes, the 53-year-old woman, along with a constable, was speeding to the spot on a two-wheeler, parting swirling sheets of water. When they reached the spot, they found the man lying unconscious on the ground.
“His whole body was freezing. He was curled up on the pavement. But when we tried to move him there was a small gasp of breath,” she said. They called the state ambulance service on the 108 helpline, but couldn’t afford to lose time, and hailed an autorickshaw .
Rajeshwari hoisted the 30- year old man on her shoulders, and waded through knee-deep water to place him inside the vehicle with two other people. A video of her heroics went viral on social media and was tweeted even by chief minister MK Stalin.
The man was Udhaya, a worker at the crematorium, who received treatment at the government Kilpauk Medical College. “I met his mother and the doctor at the hospital. They said that he is doing okay,” said Rajeshwari.
She wasn’t the only one.
As torrential rain pounded Chennai and Tamil Nadu districts for the fifth day, throwing normal life out of gear and submerging several neighbourhoods, a phalanx of relief and rescue workers kept the city afloat and kept its civic infrastructure from completely collapsing.
On Thursday itself, nearly 18,000 personnel cut through fallen trees and used motor boats to reach people whose houses had been flooded in areas like KK Nagar, T Nagar and Velachery.
Sanitation workers braved the downpour to declutter drains, collect waste from households, and remove snapped electricity wires.
Rajeshwari showered praise on all her fellow workers.
“It’s not just me. All police officers are doing relief work on the ground. It’s just that my video was circulated (on social media). We are mostly engaged in removing fallen trees, providing food and blankets to flood-affected people and moving them to shelters,” she said.
Chennai police commissioner Shankar Jiwal praised Rajeshwari for going beyond the call of duty. “At this age, to go around with such enthusiasm inspires the younger generation to not hesitate to do anything to save a life,” Jiwal said.
“It is, however, in tune with what our officers have been doing. Flooding isn’t new to Chennai so they know how to act,” Jiwal added.
Apart from the police, sanitation workers from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) worked through the day to clear garbage from drains, collect waste from households, and remove trees often wading through knee deep water, braving potholes, and hanging electricity wires.
On Thursday, according to the GCC, water had stagnated in 500 locations across the city out of which they were able to clear 26 as till 2pm.
Officials said that they used 46 boats to supply essentials. Authorities used motors and robotic excavators to pump out water, de-clog drains and remove trash. As civic, revenue, public works, police and fire personnel slogged to help people, Stalin said he bowed before all government workers involved in relief and rescue operations. “Your selfless services and sacrifice have removed the distress of crores of people,” he tweeted.
GCC officials said they supplied 664,950 food packets to 202,000 people since Sunday, when a depression in the Bay of Bengal triggered a deluge across Tamil Nadu.
“Low lying areas are still inundated,” said GCC commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi.
“We closed subways as a precaution. We have requested people to avoid stepping outside their homes,” he said.
Officials of the revenue and disaster management department said that 100,000 volunteers, including snake catchers, were press into service after reports that snakes had entered many flooded homes. The government also appointed an officer for each of the city’s 15 zones to lead relief operations.
Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KSSR Ramachandran said that 14 NDRF teams are on the ground along with 4 SDRF teams to help with relief work across the state. “Since rains have decreased now, efforts to drain out water is being carried out rapidly,” he said.
