Chennai floods

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 07 Dec 2015 09:29

UBji,
Because the metro tunnels are submerged with ginormous amount of water in a thickly built area, if they don't take care of this now, caving of ground is a real possibility. Rohit posted a picture of the tunnel head in the metro page, doesn't look so good. Saidapet tunnel head is atleast 400m from Adyar river, it's still a wonder on how the water spilled in to it. The water in our area was less during the rain and started increasing after Adyar got flooded, we never knew this would happen. And unfortunately for us the gradient is towards Teynampet which was where the water came from.

Abhay_S · Post by **Abhay_S** » 07 Dec 2015 09:46

The same story repeats. I was in Hyderabad in 2000 when the city was flooded. there were many articles written about how houses were built on lakes and river banks encroached. a review was promised but nothing has changed.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 10:33

Yeah.. got to see the show. excellent indeed.

to sum up, there are multiple axes to this issue

1. encroachment to low-lying areas where the water will find its path to flood.

2. governance (councilors, mmda, authorities) and corruption to allow 1

3. people stupidity to buy anything anywhere and jump into the RE bandwagon to make more money

4. poor planning and implementation - not engineered to take this crap load of water within a short period of time.

5. el Nino effect that did test the 4 above.

6. mostly affected people are poor, and who are ignored on a yearly basis. this time it affected the middle class, hence we are talking. [this is sad].

7. people don't seek better DM and EF infra.. they don't involve in urban planning nor want to participate, and they feel that is not their problem.

8. information management is poor. people should drive the info, and that makes the gov respond. more people complain and push. no gov how much ever corrupt they are, can keep quite.

Sridhar K · Post by **Sridhar K** » 07 Dec 2015 12:41

SSridhar saar
Adyar river passes inside the airport walls. Part of the secondary runway actually is a bridge over the river

Adding to the list is breaking of lake bunds to protect their encroached property. It is a frequent cause of flooding in suburbs

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 07 Dec 2015 13:01

Yakherderji,
problem was that all the lakes around the city were already full and the city was wet as a willing maiden already. When the second spell of rain came dumping another assload, the drainage should've been upto the task to remove all the excess water. But of course it wasnt, since we built IT offices and colleges and houses on those marshlands and river, lake beds. And those very same places got inundated and areas surrounding them got inundated too. If the infra was upto scratch and the canals and rivers were as efficient as they could be, damage would've been a lot lot less. But who listens.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 13:37

Sridhar K, yes that's true. I was referring to the water sloshing as far away as at the escalators of the departure terminal.

You are also right about the lake bunds being deliberately breached by the encroachers so that water didn't enter their areas. In the end though, nothing worked and they only caused more flooding !

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Dec 2015 13:40

i believe in mumbai also some kind "mithi" river passes within the airport walls.
https://www.google.co.in/maps/@19.08989 ... 145,14.76z

and various slumlords have taken over adjacent areas too, to make sure it will flood when the time comes.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 13:44

Chennai’s wettest season comes in hottest year - Rukmini S, The Hindu

On December 1, freak weather conditions all came together on one single day to swamp Chennai with the heaviest rainfall in a century. If that was bad news the worse is that it could all happen again. The World Meteorological Organisation has been producing regular updates on the scale of this year’s El Nino, and its expected impact was a significant contributor to the India Meteorological Department’s forecast of a deficient south-west monsoon, a forecast that was spot on.

The same weather system was also expected to have an opposite impact on the north-east monsoon — the one that southern India experiences in its winter months — but the impact on the southern monsoon is much less clearly established, said G.P. Sharma, vice-president of meteorology with the private forecaster Skymet Weather.

A positive Indian Ocean Dipole — warmer sea temperatures in the western Indian Ocean and a cooler eastern Indian Ocean — kept ocean temperatures high in the south Bay of Bengal resulting in strong weather systems in the South Andaman Sea, Skymet Weather assessed.

What happened on December 1, however, when clouds dumped up to 490 mm of rain on parts of Chennai over 24 hours went beyond El Nino. El Nino affects the whole season and is not responsible for individual episodes of intense rain, according to B. Mukhopadhyay, additional director-general of meteorology (research), IMD (Pune). “An individual episode like that on December 1 is a combination of several factors and in every such episode, the combination changes. On December 1, the lower-level moisture supply was high and upper air evacuation of the moisture was also strong. We call this phenomenon upper air divergence, and the effect is that the cloud becomes very intense. Both coincide very rarely,” he said.

At the same time, 2015 is on course to being the hottest-ever year recorded both globally, and as was recently confirmed by the IMD. The same holds for ocean temperature. The United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has established that the Indian Ocean’s temperature in October 2015 was the record hottest.

“One of the most confidently predicted consequences on warming land and oceans is an increase in evaporation that could provide more fuel for more intense rainstorms on land. The recent extreme rains in Chennai surely seem to fit that trend,” the U.S.-based meteorologist, Eric Holthaus, explained in an email to The Hindu .

Such episodes of intense episodic rainfall are only going to become more frequent. In 2009, an Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology study found an alarming rise in the number and intensity of “extreme point rainfall events” and the 2011 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, too, predicted an increase in the probability of extreme weather events as a result of climate change.

If these phenomena explain to some extent the intensity of the rainfall, the flooding is also substantially explained by the civic disrepair that has left nowhere for the water to go, and little means of conveying information.

On December 2, PWD officials were releasing 30,000 cusecs {it became 80000 a day later} from the Chembarambakkam reservoir. Consequently, the Adyar was in spate, flooding most parts of the southern and even central parts of the city. PWD officials insist that the discharge was necessary as they could not afford to risk the safety of the reservoir.

While the flooding of the southern parts is recurring during winter, the flooding in the heart of the city exposed the government’s unpreparedness in anticipating the floods based on water release into the Adyar and in disseminating information in advance for the residents to act.

The worst affected were the southern suburbs that witnessed an unplanned real estate boom in the last decade with unapproved layouts springing up adjacent to wetlands and water bodies. Since the panchayats are unable to regulate unauthorised construction, residential development in low-level areas has mushroomed. Since the channels are also blocked, the inundation lasts longer.

Some time ago, there was talk of delineating river corridors and mapping of flood plain zones to enable the residents to know the flood risk factor of their localities but it did not materialise.

Added to this was the inadequacy of drains. Most parts of the old city were relatively safe from flooding this time. Of the Corporation’s area, the 172 sq.km of the old city have storm water drains while the remaining 254 sq.km have no storm water drains but only drains constructed by the local bodies that are not connected to the rivers.

As of now, civic officials say the storm water drains could handle only 3 cm of rainfall an hour. With expertise from the Netherlands and other European nations, they are working on a design to handle 6.8 cm of rainfall. The city is also getting World Bank funding to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crore for developing watersheds in the Adyar and Cooum basins. Thirty-nine packages have been finalised, and work orders issued. Work on the Kosasthalaiyar and Kovalam basins has been delayed as no agency has come forward to fund the projects, officials say.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 07 Dec 2015 13:52

vina wrote:
Prof. Rayudu for DME
OT. Great man.Taught me as well. Died under tragic circumstances when he had a heart attack while riding his scooter on the roads in~~Chennai~~ Madras (I can never call it that name) and no one came to his rescue quickly enough.

Vina in the days when it was called Madras there was no thrombolysis, no angioplasty, no bypass. Death was normal

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 07 Dec 2015 13:58

UlanBatori wrote: Point is, all those are very possible. It rains in November/December in Chennai. Rains very heavily on some days. Back in 1975 there was a cyclone that seemed headed straight for IIT hostels as per radio report at 1am, when I went to sleep confident that the Design of Machine Elements final exam would be postponed (hopefully cancelled entirely...). Somewhere around 2am it (meaning cyclone not exam) changed course and slammed some 100 miles south of Chennai.

It was 1972. I was closer to that 100 miles south place - in Pondicherry that year - 20 km from Cuddalore. Walked at 45 degree angle leaning forward against the wind. Was brainless enough to think it was fun.
http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/stat ... ory-bb.htm

December 1-8,1972: Crossed Tamilnadu coast close to and north of Cudalore at 2330 UTC on 5th December and was within 50 km WNW of Cuddalore at 0300 UTCon December 6. Maximum wind speed recorded at Cuddalore was 111 KMPH to 148 KMPH (60-80) between 2230 UTC of 5th & 0230 UTC of 6th.80 People killed and 30,000 people rendered homeless in Madras due to flood.Total loss Rs. 40 crores.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Dec 2015 14:21

shiv, We had one in Nov 19756 also. Quite a deluge.

vina · Post by **vina** » 07 Dec 2015 14:29

Vina in the days when it was called Madras there was no thrombolysis, no angioplasty, no bypass. Death was normal

Bypass yes, the other two no. Anyways, docs back then didn't have the statins we have today to manage cholesterol etc , nor were they active as now in intervening and screening for heart risk factors, especially if diabetic and other stuff.

Yes. You are right. Death was "normal".

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Dec 2015 14:45

In OAT they played a Frenec Molnar film. Prof. Rayudu in the class asked what the hell the movie was all about? SO I told him its a metaphor of Europe before WWI where the states were flush with new weapons and ended up fighting and led to awful destruction. So he says why didn't they have a note or explanation on the screen before the film started. Or film club give a brief intro. I said most likely the Film club didn't know what it was about.

He taught us to always have lots of margin for unexpected loads due to incorrect usage.

I aero its called look for margin!

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 07 Dec 2015 17:13

Airport functioned with Airindia and Jetairways operating flights. Albeit belatedly. Half of the terminal check in counters were not functioning. I was taken by AI staff to the other side where normally private airlines have check in counters. XBIS of spicejet was used to scan the luggage. Otherwise process was smooth. For once AirIndia and other airlines waited for full complement of passengers to arrive before departing. Also got a phone call on the way. Airport has been cleaned totally. But carpetted area was cordoned off and chairs arranged along the carpet border. One of the cleaning lady informed that water from runway side had entered the ground floor departure. Went to look for it. but seemed clean. Escalators were operational.

Saw flood damages from Tambaram onwards. Roads (GST) was damaged in few places. There was no signs of Pallavarm flyover being inundated as claimed in news report. Water did reach up to entry to the flyover. Must be some other flyover.

Life was limping back to normal and transport facilities worked. People on the road trying to resume their routine.

Fields were inundated and more rains would only cause flooding.

All lakes seemed full to the brim ( on the way) and as seen from Air. Water was still draining.

Bird's eye view gave idea that north and north west of chennai were still having lots of water and colonies surrounded, marooned.

Rivers Adayar and cooum and another one ( don't recall the name) were full but calmer now. Embankments were not visible.

Lot of folks still need relief , food supplies , medicine , water, blankets,.

Sanitation is required to prevent disease outbreak. Mosquito population seemed more in airport.

people are resilient. They mostly depended on volunteers and Armed forces and NDRF. Themselves organised efforts. read some stories in Indian express local edition. Once fourth year engineering student of Anna University went all the way to some slum area to donate first year civil engineering books to a boy whose books got damaged by flood waters. Another person rescued some stranded people and one of them was pregnant, delivered a girl child two days later and was named after the rescuer Md yunus, who is currently in Cuddalore.

@saralux I am not a true chenniite. Can never be. being a Bihari , I can never be true Tambi also. My karmabhumi is down south of chennai. Was there on 29th to second when I had left in downpour. Yet my place was equally ravaged except that power got restored quickly. Top skin of roads were tattered. I have seen enough cyclonic damages and all major calamities that TN has faced in last two decades and know abt them and the responses( world class with TN actually setting the standards in these matters). However, Down south people snigger at someone being chennaiite and the Tamizh version they speak ( no disrespect from me). For them ( trichy and south of it) chennaiites are close brothers of lootyens. population is mixed with andhra influence and language is corrupted. Hope this flood has shown enough light on strength of their character to change opinion. I myself admire them.

@JEM I did not mean to preach proselytisation though it is not banned in TN.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 17:17

Prasad wrote:...If the infra was upto scratch and the canals and rivers were as efficient as they could be, damage would've been a lot lot less. But who listens.

two things:

What is the metrics collection process? Is there an 'as simple as glass/transparent pipe indicator' that steps down for people to look at water levels underground?

Is the design intended for this influx capacity and rate?

on the listening part, only you and I have to shake hands. others and aam out there will have problems. that is the reactive cultural part that is hard to change. so, the best way to yak herd is create artificial floods often area-wise and wake them up to realities of the future. tough luck!

-------------------

mosquito bourne deaths might be the next high on the data. keep a check

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 07 Dec 2015 17:23

And yes Chennai was sunny. Light clouds..

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 17:27

wed-thu / 80% thunderstorm.

looking at the weather patterns, the next salvo would be much earlier than you might think.

they will wake up again to say, we again kept quiet for the 2015 warnings. well, in a reactive setup.. the gov bodies can chase people away in advance [for the loot-boot operatives to receive disaster claim chunks].

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 07 Dec 2015 18:09

http://indiafacts.org/chennai-rains-wha ... rom-india/

The stranger not only responded to the call but immediately offered to search for my friend’s wife and daughter and report back on their safety. He waded through chest-deep water, which was contaminated because sewer lines had burst open, for an hour to locate the woman and the infant. They were safe but were without milk and other necessities. He then again waded through sewage water located a pharmacy, got some dried milk powder and water bottles, returned and gave it to them. He had been soaking in sewage water for nearly four hours by then. He then called my friend to report on their safety. I can never think of westerners (barring honorable exceptions) listing their phone numbers in public domain and inviting strangers to live with them. If the West is guided by paranoia, India seems to be guided by trust.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 07 Dec 2015 18:15

SaiK: Sorry, I do not have a link. If I find, I will send it out to you. Like you mentioned it had doctors, engineers, councilors, builders, journalists and aam junta. One has to ignore or even bit the teeth for some of its stances and views, but altogether it is good for the people.

The foremost thing is public awareness, and their subsequent involvement in all the processes as good citizens. If there was an entitlement attitude or tendency to blame the government, those are changing. Social Media rocks !!! - Almost all the work was coordinated on FB, WhatsApp and Twitter.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 07 Dec 2015 18:19

ramana wrote: Yet MET and GOI get surprised due to ad hoc response mechanism in Indian Civil Services. Perspective planning is shunned as every officer wants kudos for having saved the world!!!

I would not be that cynical and come to that conclusion.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 18:36

gin sahib, got it.. saw it.

social media rocked because that is the market domain FB, WA and T is designed after.

but where is the soc media, when there is no data connectivity? basic problems can't be solved by info sharing. these are only for upper class who can afford to get saved, but the real aam admi are the ones who are living in a condition that no soc media can help.

this is an utter systemic failure of governance and infrastructure planning to implementation. the reason, I posted the summary above.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 18:59

Rahane, Ashwin dedicate win to Chennai flood victims

Very nice of them indeed.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 19:05

Rahul M wrote:the FB video of the rescue is not working. here's the youtube version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1rMCjemwHU

Twin girls to boot. What a gift. Terrific.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 19:24

the pregnant lady climbing up all the way up to the top itself was a risky business. i understand the emergency response here, but i am questioning certain risks taken for aam-admi ops.

it appears way too SDRE.

we have to design such rescues in a less-risky way for that matter.

a lift system is an ideal design. [la hot air balloon basket]

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 19:32

Airlifted pregnant woman delivers healthy twin girls - PTI

A nine-month pregnant woman, who was aerially rescued last week from one of the worst rain-affected areas of the city, has given birth to healthy twin girls at a hospital here, bringing some cheer as residents grapple with the aftermath of the unprecedented deluge.

The IAF, which had rescued 28-year-old Deepthi Velchamy on December 2, again airlifted her to a hospital two days later when she went into labour.

She was initially evacuated from rain-hit Ramapuram area near Guindy and brought to the Tamabaram Air Base, nearly 30 kms from here, which served as one of the nodal points during the aerial rescue operations.

“She was rescued on December 2 and was nine months pregnant. I was in Bangalore when I received a call and reached Tambaram the next day. She then went in labour and had to be airlifted again to a hospital in Chennai. The two girls were born on December 4,” her husband Karthik Velchamy told PTI.

Deepthi went into labour but her pregnancy history papers were lost in the flood. The Velchamys, native of Hosur near Bangalore, were racing against time when the IAF came to their rescue again and airlifted her to a hospital which had her medical record.

“She suggested (Sri) Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital as it had her details on onlinedatabase...And, an IAF team then airlifted her there. I am so happy that after all the hardships we went through, our daughters have arrived like angels and brought smile on everyone’s faces,” Karthik said.

The Indian Air Force which played a stellar role during the entire rescue operations had saved three or four other expecting mothers.

“Besides, Deepthi, who was airlifted from her house’s rooftop in Guindy area, by a ‘Cheetah’ helicopter, three-four other pregnant women were also rescued from the city and suburban areas, where communication links were cut off,” a senior IAF official told PTI.

Sukanya (29), a seven-month-pregnant woman was rescued on December 3 along with her three-year-old child from her home in Medumbakkam, near Guindy, which bore the brunt of the torrential rains that has left the capital city battered.

She was brought to Tambaram Air Base in a ‘Chetak’ helicopter, and then immediately taken to the Base Hospital.

“We moved to the fourth floor of our house as the first and the second floor had become inundated. There was no electricity in our area for the last two days.

“We had lost all hope until they rescued us,” she had said.

“Rescuing is a tough job and when I heard our boys (pilots) are airlifting seven and nine-month pregnant women, I asked my colleagues, how are they doing it,” a top IAF official said.

An emotionally overwhelmed Karthik is in awe of the IAF now, and says, “I salute these brave men.”

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 19:37

SaiK wrote:a lift system is an ideal design. [la hot air balloon basket]

Helis capable of winching stretchers must be also available for rescue efforts.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 19:39

mmmm... not in this case. the straps can kill the babies. however it can be used for other types of injuries where the victim must be in stretched condition until diagonized.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2015 19:42

No, I did not mean any specific situation. I have not seen such helis being deployed at all.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 07 Dec 2015 19:54

SaiK wrote:the pregnant lady climbing up all the way up to the top itself was a risky business. i understand the emergency response here, but i am questioning certain risks taken for aam-admi ops.

it appears way too SDRE.

we have to design such rescues in a less-risky way for that matter.

a lift system is an ideal design. [la hot air balloon basket]

Hot air balloon basket? And carry it underslung with the pregnant woman swinging wildly in it? Sounds highly dangerous to me

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 07 Dec 2015 20:03

If I'm not mistaken, Arakkonam has a helicopter training school where pilots from IAF (after their stage 2 training), Navy and CG come for the final training. It should have a pool of highly trained helicopter crews.

uddu · Post by **uddu** » 07 Dec 2015 20:09

Seems hot air balloons are difficult to control. They can't hover over an area and as the wind blows they go with it.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 20:11

good point shiv ji.. an augmented approach would be that it may retract all the way up & latch to reduce swings.

uddu, you went tangential. I was only using the basket design.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Dec 2015 20:30

actually I was wondering if the ndrf people reached there by boat, why they did not take her by boat to hospital or a proper helipad.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 07 Dec 2015 20:48

perhaps the answer lies knowing the time when she was air-lifted to the time when she delivered the babies is known.

Sridhar K · Post by **Sridhar K** » 07 Dec 2015 20:59

rohitvats wrote:If I'm not mistaken, Arakkonam has a helicopter training school where pilots from IAF (after their stage 2 training), Navy and CG come for the final training. It should have a pool of highly trained helicopter crews.

If I am not wrong there is a heli training school in Tambaram AFS as I see regular heli flights taking off and landing after loitering along with kirans which operate out of here. Dhruv from the Sarang team was also part of the rescue as seen from my terrace. It's a pity that there r no fighters out of this base to ogle at

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 07 Dec 2015 21:28

That was a very heart warming story of the rescue of the pregnant woman in Chennai, and the subsequent birth of the twin daughters.

Has anyone seen an international news agency pick this story up? It's positively news worthy. The same news agencies easily spot stories about monkeys on top of a train, leopards getting stuck in a bucket, eunuch festivals, cattle smuggling across borders et al.

So they better get this story!

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 07 Dec 2015 21:29

'intolerance' is never far away these day. FB and Whatsapp already sending images of Parthasarthy Temple allowing muslims inside. I do not know if it JUST RUMORS, but my cousin reported that the priests are giving rugs to the Muslims to perform their namaz inside the temple.

Helping people in distress is one thing, but allowing namaz is going overboard.

However this report does not talk about the rumors: http://www.puthiyathalaimurai.tv/muslim ... 51633.html It talks about Muslims helping the people inside the temple.

Any info on this from the locals?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 07 Dec 2015 21:35

>>>Helping people in distress is one thing, but allowing namaz is going overboard.

Picture validation of this will be wonderful.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 07 Dec 2015 21:35

A feel I get from cousins on ground is a slow but steady acceptance of the role government sectors played. Pallavan Transport buses were the only ones reliable. Private cabs could not be reached for booking. It looks like the electricity board offices were staffed, and there was someone to answer the questions from public. Respect building for these people, who are normally blamed.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 07 Dec 2015 21:36

Satya_anveshi wrote:>>>Helping people in distress is one thing, but allowing namaz is going overboard.

Picture validation of this will be wonderful.

I am trying to get that....but here are some 'youth' in the temples