Chennai Help

Disaster Remembrance Week

2005-12-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

A year ago to this day, was one of the worst disasters that struck this and other countries. The Asian Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami, that laid waste property and human life.

Then came Katrina and her cronies. Tearing through New Orleans, disrupting life and business.

And then there was the August Cloudburst in Bombay. Followed soon after by the Pakistan & India eartquake. And then 2 months of battering rains and floods in Tamil Nadu and Madras.

A year of disasters. The least we can do is spend a week paying homage to the lives lost and thinking about the survivors. It's always the survivors of a calamity who are worse off.

All this week and the next, you'll see a ribbon on top of Chennai Help, as well as the image you see to the right. Please do pass the word on, get involved.

To quote the people at the World Wide Help group:

Last December and this January, the online community came together as never before to help in the aid efforts in South-East Asia. The lessons learned there were put to use, and improved upon, when the other tragic events of the year unfolded.

Can we harness that goodwill, that togetherness, that willingness to help once more?

The WorldWideHelp group would like you to join us in Remembrance Week. Here's what we suggest you do.

Use your blogs, your home pages, your wikis, your newsletters. Link to your favourite charities and NGOs, write a paragraph about them and the work they are doing, and ask your readers to make a donation.

Please.

Disaster Remembrance Week

Yet another one on its way

2005-12-07T04:27:00.000-08:00

Buckle up Chennai!

Look out! It is a flood

2005-12-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

Many parts of Greater Chennai are flooded. Several roads are submerged and ground floor houses are threatened or already inundated by sewage tinged flood waters.

My parents tell me that their car is completely submerged in water and the ground floor houses in their apartment complex in Poonamallee High Road are water logged. Luckily they are marooned on the third floor.

Power is off in a lot of places. While there is no rain now, the city still has some way to go to recover.

CCG shot the pictures above on his treacherous bus journey to Madras. To quote him, So, I made this bus trip to Madras, misguidedly thinking it will be safer than the train that hugs the storm battered coast. Turns out I was wrong. How wrong? A good picture speaks a thousand words(7 words in that one phrase, BTW) and all that jazz, so see attachment. Oh BTW - the scariest thing you folks can see early morning is a cow, probably heavier than you, just being lifted off its legs and carried away by a bunch of Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms - granted, a large bunch.

Bad news

2005-12-03T04:02:00.000-08:00

Some lake is overflowing, not sure which one. Flood warning has been issued in Egmore, Aminjikkarai, Kotturpuram areas. Semi confirmed reports say that the Adyar River has come upto the banks near the Kotturpuram bridge. People in Kotturpuram have been asked to evacuate as per Sun News.

Update 18.00 hrs 03.12.2005: The Vedanthangal Lake has been breached. Water outflow from Puzhal and Chembarambakkam has increased.

Update 18.30 hrs: 100 ft road in Vadapalani is under water. Further details in News Today, Chennai's eveninger.

Chennai battered again

2005-12-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Looks like the now weakened Cyclone Bazz was waiting for the India Srilanka Test Match to begin. On the morning of 2nd December, the sky opened up. Non stop rain as before. By evening all the roads were flooded. I took Mount Road, fairly clear and entered GN Chetty Road which was a swimming pool. Cenotaph Road, which is normally clear was also flooded. Chittaranjan Road, (the road next to Cenotaph Road ICICI) is in knee deep water.

My brother in law's Ground Floor flat in Mogappair is about to be flooded. Looks like the Ambattur Lake has breached / opened and the water is flooding Mogappair. Situation is bad in Arcot Road, Valsaravakkam too. Our famous non blogger CCG, is sitting in a bus in Pattabiram for the last 4 hours with traffic building up on either side. Last time he came to Chennai, he spent 8 hours stranded in a train.

Now, the sun is out and the weather is warm. But the flood water (mixed with sewage) in many places is yet to recede. The suburbs are badly hit.

2005-12-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

Signs of the Baaz are starting to appear in Chennai city. The gray cloud blanket overhead looks ominous and the rain showers have been steady this past hour. Sun News' latest update mentions that the cyclone, 300km east south-east of Chennai, may cross today.

2005-11-30T01:19:00.000-08:00

Relief Web has a few reports on the flood situation in Tamil Nadu.

2005-11-29T02:32:00.000-08:00

Another depression on its way. Tonight is marked with more rains. This is what the global weather man says (the important thing is the satellite image on the lower half of the linked page. There is a 'weather in motion' link as well which shows the red circle moving in an alarming manner towards the Chennai coastline).

2005-11-29T02:29:00.000-08:00

Some pictures of flooded Tamil Nadu.

A Chennai Monsoon 2005 photo collection.

Buses & Lives - washed away in Tamil Nadu

2005-11-26T21:21:00.000-08:00

This has been the story of the last 24 hours. Two buses, carrying over 200 passengers, were washed away by flash floods in Ramanathapuram and Thanjavur districts. The death toll ranges between 74 to well over 80, depending upon the news report that one follows. Perhaps there are more lives that have ceased to be than these figures show.

Various news agencies all over the world, from New Zealand to Canada to Qatar to Switzerland to Ireland to China ran this news.

It is still a rainy story

2005-11-23T23:13:00.000-08:00

The reports of the continuing Chennai rainfall are remarkably uniform in their content. We are not talking about the recent reports but also the ones that reported the depressions of a few weeks ago. The story still remains that there is an unusually strong monsoon in action in the Coromandel coast and this monsoon also stirs the Bay of Bengal once every few weeks and new depressions rush along to make news.

The highlights of the latest depression - the one forming a low pressure in the Gulf of Mannar - are:

Frequent spells of heavy rain lash Chennai as well as surrounding areas in
Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states.

The reservoirs are overflowing - Chennai's main source of water supply, the Chembarambakkam reservoir is full and water is being released at the rate of 1500 cusecs. Likewise 96,000 cusecs have been released from the Amaravathy dam causing a flood alert to be issued in Karur and Tiruchirapalli districts.

Schools and colleges in most districts of Tamil Nadu are closed today.

The much anticipated Chennai one-day cricket match between India and South Africa (Nov. 22) was a complete washout. Three separate public interest litigations have been filed in the Madras HighCourt against the TNCA and BCCI demanding a refund of the ticket amount.
This is the third time in three years that a cricket match in Chennai has been abandoned due to rainfall. Needless to say, all three matches were scheduled around the same time of the year. The best time to host a cricket match in Chennai is the January - March period. TNCA, hear hear.

An overview of what the weather bureau predicts for the next 48 hours:

Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at most places over Tamilnadu and Pondicherry, at many places over South Coastal Andhrapradesh, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep and at a few places over Coastal Karnataka. Isolated rain or thundershowers are likely to occur over North Coastal Andhrapradesh and North Interior Karnataka. Mainly dry weather will prevail over Telangana.
Heavy rain is likely to occur at a few places with isolated very heavy rain over Tamilnadu and Pondicherry during the next 48 hours. Isolated heavy rain is also likely to occur over South Interior Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Nellore and Chittur districts of Andhrapradesh during the same period.
Forecast for Chennai city: Generally cloudy with few spells of rain, heavy at times.

2005-11-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

The rains have been busy again. The frequent bursts of heavy rain on Friday and Saturday gave way to the incessant pitter-patter that continued all through Sunday. Chennai is under the influence of yet another low pressure, this time over the South West Bay. Rains are expected to continue through Monday and Tuesday. Schools and Colleges will be closed on Monday.

Chennai Metrowater has a 24-hour complaint cell where residents can report problems with water quality. The numbers are 28415312 / 28418436.

The continuing rains, a clear indication that the monsoon season is still young, raise worries about water borne diseases.

A quick roundup of rain news:

Incessant rain compounds Chennai's problems.

Showers will continue say the weather folks.

At least six killed and many injured in a stampede at a relief camp on Sunday.

The stinking mess in Adambakkam due to backflow of sewage.

Seven people die and crops submerge due to heavy rains and flash floods in Nagapattinam.

2005-11-03T04:44:00.000-08:00

No danger of disease outbreak says Chennai Corporation.

More rains predicted in Tamil Nadu today and tomorrow.

And the real cool umbrellas that seem to be attracting a lot of attention.

2005-10-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

AID Chennai and Relief Work

AID India, Chennai Chapter is doing great work in co-ordinating and initiating Relief work.

They request Blankets, Sarees, Children's clothing and other useful material as donations. Stoves are a priority, to boil water for drinking.

Most of us are staying home and co-ordinating over the phone. A team of volunteers from the AID Chennai office, headed by Damu, is already traveling (through some of the safer roads by four-wheeler) and assessing the damage in some of the slums in Chennai, inspite of the heavy rains outside! We plan to focus on the following:
(i) Immediate housing needs
(ii) Basic relief - food and water
(ii) Clothing requirements -
- Sweaters, jackets, blankets, bedsheets
- Children's clothes, both boys and girls
- Sarees, since they can be used for multiple purposes in such
situations (for ex: as screens for women in make-shift camps)

Please do get in touch with AID for donations and relief work.

Address:
Old 20, New 34, Ratheenam St
Gopalapuram, Chennai-86
Ph: 28350403, 52106493

Mobiles:
Damu: 94442 41918
Gnanaprakasam: 9840264616
Balaji: 94440 61033 (also 93810 41615)
Ravishankar: 94440 84910

[via: ZigZackly]

2005-10-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

*Behind Udavum Karangal at Adambakkam

*The Adambakkam subway

*View of a flooded road

Some pictures taken in and around Adambakkam yesterday.

2005-10-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

Chennai After the Rains, a Rediff Photo feature

I particularly like the Ranganathan Street Picture. Inspite of the rains, the damn street is as crowded as always, if not more so.

[via Balaji Hariharan]

2005-10-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

Rains stopped around 8.30 PM Oct 27th. Power supply was restored to Alwarpet in the evening. Today morning Chennai woke up to the good news that the storm has veered away towards Nellore, Andhra. The Chennai Corporation is doing good work. Almost all major roads are free of water, our storm drainage system must be good. The corporation workers are removing the fallen trees, clearing up the silt on the road and generally things look normal. This is what I saw in the city - Alwarpet, T Nagar, Mylapore, Triplicane and Parrys. From what I hear suburbs too are getting back to normal. The subway near RBI is still flooded so I had to take diversion from war memorial to Flag Staff Road. Sun is out, and Chennai is back to being hot.

2005-10-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

This report, like all the other web and television reports, talks about the cyclone that will hit South India today and the disruption to normal life that is expected because of the heavy rains. But there are also tiny bright spots that need to be mentioned. The sun peeked hesistantly behind ominous gray clouds this morning and there has not been a drop of rain for the last several hours offering a much needed respite.

The water appears to be receding on some of the major roads and electricity was restored in a lot of areas last night and this morning. It looks like a normal Chennai day in October. Let us see what is in store as the rest of the day unfolds. For now, it is indeed a good morning.

2005-10-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

Update from 6.30 pm SUN News

The rains Chennai has witnessed in the last few days is the highest in the last 10 years.

Water has entered most of the EB offices as a result of which power supply has been suspended in most of the areas.

Water logging in and around Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations has resulted in cancellation of long distance trains.

2005-10-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

The Electricity Board has shut down Power in many areas of the city in order to prevent electrocutions.

Most of the shops are closed and buying essential supplies seems to be a bit of a problem.

The only means of Public Transport - MTC buses - are scarce and are not able to ply the number of officegoers who have been stranded in various places.

The Chennai Corporation appears to have set up stalls for food in some places. However information about these stalls is not available to the public.

Schools and Colleges will be closed in the city tomorrow as well.

Phone services appear to be reliable at the moment except in areas where uprooted trees have damaged phone cables.

Most roads are flooded with 2-4 ft of water. The health issues will start to show up soon if preparatory measures are not taken.

2005-10-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

All trains from Chennai cancelled until noon tomorrow.

2005-10-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Rain continues unabated in Chennai and surrounding areas. The depression is now located about 250km east/south-east of Chennai and is likely to move in a north-westerly direction crossing the coast between Chennai and Ongole tomorrow morning. Northern Tamil Nadu and Southern Andhra Pradesh will experience very heavy rains during this period with winds reaching a speed of 65km.

2005-10-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

Update from Sun News - 3pm bulletin:
=> Cyclone expected to hit the Chennai-Ongole stretch tomorrow (Oct 28) morning.
=> Heavy / very heavy rains with heavy winds expected for the next 24-48 hours
=> 66 dead so far in Chennai
=> All schools and colleges closed
=> Since this morning, 23cm of rain has been recorded in the city
=> Low lying areas like West Mambalam, Purasawalkam, parts of Mogappair & Anna Nagar, Velachery, parts of Tambaram completely flooded as water enters homes and other buildings
=> Several trees uprooted and roads blocked
=> Chennai Airport runway flooded and many international and domestic flights have been routed to Bangalore
=> Guindy Kathipara junction flooded - a minimum wait of two hours to cross over from the Airport to Guindy
=> Railways cancels a number of outbound long-distance trains. Helplines are: 25383783/84/85
=> Chennai Corporation Helplines are: 25381330, 25383783, 25384670

Other parts of Tamil Nadu:
=> Landslide in Tiruvannamalai. Several villages cut off.
=> Tiruchirapalli still recovering from floods - roadway cut off.
=> Mettur Dam overflowing but inbound water has slowed down since morning.

2005-10-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Meteorological Department's local weather forecast for today. IMD also has a toll free number 1600 180 1717 for weather updates (it is not clear how current the update would be though). The rest of the site does not seem to be updated with the latest details.

2005-10-27T03:55:00.000-07:00

It is now almost 24 hours since rain started in Chennai. It has been a consistent rain fall, not much in intensity but without any let up. From the morning there is no power supply in Alwarpet, Teynampet, Adyar, Mogappair, Kilpauk, Royapuram and other areas. Telephones are working fine. Major roads flooded so far include TTK Road, GN Chetty Road, NSC Bose Road. All subways are flooded, suburban electric trains have been cancelled from the morning.

2005-10-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

It's been raining non-stop for 14+ hours. And some 50 odd people dead, according to the Times. Sounds like a cloudburst, only it is not.
Keep watching this space.