Chennai floods

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Dec 2015 08:52

^ yes my mistake. i had read of 10 inch of fast water being the limit for a adult man. less for old, women and kids.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 04 Dec 2015 08:59

disha wrote:I am feeling extremely sad and depressed looking at the loss of lives and destruction.

I am not able to connect to one of the cousins in Chennai. All accounted for except him and nobody knows where that fellow is! Last was in Tambaram which has been severely affected. Just hoping for the best for everybody.

If he has a voda phone connection, contact vodaphone offices in chennai and they can give you a last known location of that phone. This is an offer that vodaphone themselves have made.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 04 Dec 2015 09:04

Remember +2 physics of static forces..Only thing keeping you standing even without a water layer under your feet is the reaction force which balances your weight acting downwards in the opposite direction in equal amount. A layer of fast moving water becomes like you on a inclined surface with a decreasing coefficient of friction and a much smaller component acting upwards, however small the inclination value may be to trigger a slip of the foot.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 04 Dec 2015 09:05

Good that I booked my return via blr and not chn. Really worried about my friends and cousins though.

Credit to regular people of chennai. They are doing rescue and relief in everywhich way they can.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 04 Dec 2015 09:21

My parents and siblings live in BLR, and my mom talked about the help Bangolreans are performing. She thinks there is still lots of humanity left in the country.

Snakes sighted in one of my distant relatives house. People have vacated their homes.

Looks like Camp Road, Selaiyur has relatively no flooding. They even have power.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 04 Dec 2015 09:34

SwamyG wrote:My parents and siblings live in BLR, and my mom talked about the help Bangolreans are performing. She thinks there is still lots of humanity left in the country.

Snakes sighted in one of my distant relatives house. People have vacated their homes.

Looks like Camp Road, Selaiyur has relatively no flooding. They even have power.

A big donation camp for relief material has been organised in my society in Bangalore. Some stuff left for Chennai yesterday and some more will leave today. Mostly the following items are being sent:

- Dry food items (expiry date is specially watched), Milk powder specially
- Bottled water
- Baby stuff (Diapers / baby care items), Sanitary napkins, hygiene items.
- OTC medicines
- Blankets (even if used but must be usable)

Some volunteers have also left.

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 04 Dec 2015 09:50

Finally, mobile and Internet working, left city this morning. Roads are back to normalcy in my area ( near Stella maris) , came through Poondamalli HR, relatively easy traffic with nil water on the roads. Our area still has water logging, primarily water from Teynampet. CIT colony had a lot of water and so does some places in RA Puram. Santhome area was relatively better and so are areas around Mylapore. Overall we were in a much better situation than South and West. Kotturpuram is one of the worst hit this side of the river. One thing for sure, I went around yesterday, and people were orderly and calm, most stocked up on veggies and supplies. Ordinary citizens along with cops were Manning the roads, and after all the torture fest of 5-6 days didn't complaint much.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 04 Dec 2015 10:00

Reached Office today, traffic jams are back in the city

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 04 Dec 2015 10:08

And the so called news media can go shove their reporter and concerns somewhere. The News reports were not objective, didn't give any new information for us and mostly related the content,CNN IBN being the worst with their self congratulatory messages and NewsX channel was happy that they were the one to cover the events first.

Infact a local channel, Polymer gave updates on the roads that are open, about the power restoration and the bus/train updates. All these chi-chi networks should learn it from them. A simple area wise scroll on the flood situation would've helped us more than hijacking the twitter hash that folks created.

Respect to all he people contributed to the rescue and relief work, particularly the city agencies, police and central agencies. The cops stood out in pouring rain and did an amazing job driving traffic. Also to the countless folks who posted/helped in SM-#chennairains #ChennaiRainsHelp.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 04 Dec 2015 10:12

Once again SM helped more than the paid media. FB and WhatsApp has helped a lot.

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 04 Dec 2015 10:13

Aditya_V wrote:Reached Office today, traffic jams are back in the city

Your kadamai unarchi, too much man. So many aanis at office?

Shols Sez is shut for the 3rd day, I think will not reopen until Monday. Dumb @ss govt and the companies reap for what they did to Pallikaranai.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 04 Dec 2015 10:16

NDTV report showed the marsh land invaded by construction as well as garbage dumping. Following which when I checked google map, lo and behold they are claiming more of the marsh land. Oh well then !

No amount of canals and removing obstacles from existing drains, is going to help if they blatantly divide the marshes with roadways to block natural drainage. Why could they have not built on stilts instead. One can drive miles and miles in Louisiana through the bayous, all built on stilts.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Dec 2015 10:24

cost I suppose. dumping rocks and soil is much cheaper.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 04 Dec 2015 10:30

For a 100 yr event, it is a small price to pay perhaps..pass the buck down the road...but this is going to be a regular event after the fact, even with smaller amount of rainfall than what we saw with additional blockages planned in the name of development. I do hope the towns and cities of the west coast of India, which sees even more regular rainfall does not bite this tiger in the rear to keep up with the Joneses elsewhere.

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 04 Dec 2015 10:32

From friend's post on FB:
Here is the MOST RECENT update as of December 4, 9:00 AM IST.
1. Kodambakkam - United India colony roads are dry. Power restored since yesterday evening. Internet down. Not been raining since yesterday evening. Shops are open too.
2. Chepauk and Triplicane - bright and shining! roads are dry and safe!
3. Valasaravakkam - Water hasn't reduced - no current - no mobile network.
4. Nanganallur - Water is draining quickly. Water level is around 1 feet. No water logs at every place. Signals might come all over by 11.
5. West mambalam lake view road - knee level water and receding well.
6. Arumbakkam - No water logging. Transport towards tirumangalam is on from CMBT.
7. Purasawalkam high road- no rain, no water logging on main road. Streets do have water but manageable level.
8. Egmore - coovum water which was in the streets receded overnight and power is back on for most of the part. Some streets are still water logged.
9. Parry's - sunny! no water logging at Sowcarpet.
10. Ayanavaram - no rain and no water logging here.
. Anna Nagar - safe and no water logging. Power is back.
11. Mamballam - T.nagar -- Water is below knee in most of the areas..
12. From koyambed till kolathur stretch is absolutely normal
13. Waters totally drained in Mudichur and Tambaram areas, now only 2 to 3 feet water in mudichur that too for 300 meters, power came in most of the areas and people start buying groceries and start cooking, so no worries.
14. Medavakam to pallikaranai lotus pond stop no water.. But no power and no mobile network...
15. Buses and share auto running between Tambaram to Medavakkam
16. Buckingham canal to Ecr (SNR to Ecr connectivity road)..knee deep water
17. Karapakkam ... Knee deep water on the road...
18. Thiruvanmiyur signal to tidel.. 3 feet
19. OMR to city access is best via Adyar bridge, RA puram, Nandanam, Gemini and further to central and pooonamalai rd
20. Arcot road from Kodambakkam bridge till Alwarthirunagar is fine and clear..
21. Beach road from Anna salai accessible via RK salai
22. Velacherry - Baby nagar, Tansi nagar, Bharadhi naagar, Udhayam nagar, VGP Selva Nagar, Velachery Anna Nagar: Water level above 4 feet, in few other areas water level above neck.
23. SRP tools to tidel park road is closed now (@ 3-Dec 9:00 PM IST)
24. Jafarkhanpet and west saidapet water above neck level, peoples are rescue using boats (@3-Dec 9:00 PM IST)
25. Narayanapuram till kamatchi hospital neck level water
26. Mahalingapuram - Clear sky and no water logging

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 04 Dec 2015 10:41

There was a plan to build an additional canal to drain excess water from the Marsh to Buckingham canal, somehow didn't materialize. That could've facilitated easy flow to the bay. I think we need to build more culverts across the Marsh to move more water effectively and stop encroachments on the lakes in the south. All the enroachers got what they deserved, SRM, Sathyabama, Sez, SRMC, apartments built on mudichur, Koratur, Chitlapakkam lakes.DLF, Purvan Kara, Embassy, Lanco projects are all flooded. I hope the consumers catch hold of the builders and shook them up, although they are as much responsible for this mess, as much as the builders and the govt. Last I heard Bollineni is paying about 2L per Villa for repairs and refurnishing.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Dec 2015 10:45

For relief!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Dec 2015 10:46

Is Cooum canal flushed finally?

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 04 Dec 2015 10:53

Adyar is still running full, above msg from Armen says there are localities still in neck deep water. Cooum was flushed last week around, with the flushed garbage thrown back by the sea. The encroachments will take some time to come up on the riverbanks, but the sewage will needs to be plugged. The city agency has already started implementing a plan on this and some areas have already been covered.

SriKumar · Post by **SriKumar** » 04 Dec 2015 10:58

Bade wrote:For a 100 yr event, it is a small price to pay perhaps.....

True dat. Initially I was sceptical, but I guess if you total the losses that have occurred i.e. damage to infrastructure i.e. roads, power lines, electrical equipment, bridges, rail tracks, airport) damage to company assets, lost productivity for companies especially the factories which need road and port infrastructure; loss of personal property for the lakhs who have water in their houses, and all the submgered cars and city buses (did not factor in loss of life....) it would easily runs into tens of thousands of crores if not a lot more. This might well be more expensive than building appropriate infrastructure even if it costs more..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Dec 2015 11:09

the lower middle class and poor whose houses have been submerged will bear the brunt of this. beddings, furniture, clothes all ruined and will need a good clean and dry cycle to recover.
electrical and electronic stuff ruined....might be ok if clean and dried up in some cases.
houses themselves damaged by standing water.

Amma will need to line up a strong benefits pkg to retain her mindshare.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Dec 2015 11:12

SriKumar considering its Chennaipatnam the total cost of losses and rebuilding will be at least Rs. 100-125K crores. This a major cost. And for common people it could be irreplaceable: money & jewelery. Lost documments can be re-generated by the govt.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 04 Dec 2015 11:12

Upper middle class too...look at the cars floating...more widespread damage than the Tsunami did to Chennai in terms of material loss for sure.

habal · Post by **habal** » 04 Dec 2015 11:12

she is going to choke that baby .. left it's head hanging.

vina · Post by **vina** » 04 Dec 2015 11:15

the lower middle class and poor whose houses have been submerged will bear the brunt of this. beddings, furniture, clothes all ruined and will need a good clean and dry cycle to recover.
electrical and electronic stuff ruined....might be ok if clean and dried up in some cases.
houses themselves damaged by standing water.

Amma will need to line up a strong benefits pkg to retain her mindshare.

From what I see and hear, this time the beating has been "equal opportunity" . For e.g., my colleague has been moaning for the past 2 days that his chi-chi place in Thoraipakkam has seen water enter the house and into the room where he has stored some expensive paintings and furnishings and stuff (he has let out the remainder of the house and the tenants themselves are in trouble) and estimates a Rs 20L plus loss!

Yes, a lot of people have pretty much lost everything that has been kept in the house. Vehicles of course underwater in massive number, total write offs, hopefully can claim insurance on those.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 04 Dec 2015 11:34

It will take time. Finally rains has abetted and Sun is shining. Patchy sky with cloud cover is still sending warning signals. If it does not rain, water will drain out. The problem is Chennai has huge catchment area and all waters will have to pass through its rivers, lakes and wetland. Rajali is taking civilian. Flights, not sure if regular ones. But evacuation. of stranded. Passengers is on. Electricity will be restored as water drains out to prevent accidental electrocution.
Low lying areas will take some time to drain.

Ordinary folks have shown their character in coming out to help. Experience of tsunami helped in knowing what to do. Even civic agencies have done good work and it is because of them that casualy figures are less.
Reminded me of Patna flooding when water reached above first floor .

Avoid going out unless familiar with area and on rescue relief work. Stay on higher ground. Today ndrf has more than 50+ teams and they will reach most stranded in low lying colonies.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 04 Dec 2015 11:38

Amma food
Amma water
Amma salt
Amma cement
Amma rains
Amma rescue
Amma releif
Everything free

She will win a resounding majority in may 2016.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Dec 2015 11:41

the insurance industry which in india always claims to be under financial stress will get a shockwave from this - property , shop, car insurance claims. same happened after katrina.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 04 Dec 2015 11:58

Singha wrote:the insurance industry which in india always claims to be under financial stress will get a shockwave from this - property , shop, car insurance claims. same happened after katrina.

very very few in chennai would have actually insured against such damage and very specific clauses are required to be active in the policy for the insurance companies to pay off.

I remember, during the sikh killings, a relative's household articles were were being transported by truck because he was being transferred. The driver was a sikh, he was attacked on the way and the household stuff and the truck burnt along with the unfortunate driver.

Even though he was "fully insured" he did not receive a single paise. SRCC means jack shit because the insurance simply claimed that they were not liable because the goods had been "stolen" and the so called full coverage SRCC policy was not covered for theft.

act of god also comes into play for these devious insurance companies.

I have "full" insurance coverage for house and appliances, but the company did not pay me when a lightening strike took out some appliances at my farm house. They refused to take my word and demanded to see a "newspaper" report about the lightening strike because as per them such a significant event would heve been reported in the press. None of my neighbors also received any compensation for their loss. The extremely jovial insurance agent simply stopped answering our telephone calls and the company office sent the matter into a long closed loop.

vina · Post by **vina** » 04 Dec 2015 12:16

the insurance industry which in india always claims to be under financial stress will get a shockwave from this - property , shop, car insurance claims. same happened after katrina.

Mumbai too got plastered with rains a few years ago. Similar things would have happened. The city got back on it's feet in two or 3 days. Mumbai is tough and self sufficient. And so is Chennai. Chennai too will be back on it's feet within a week.

Leave the victim playing and rhona & dhona to Bengal , Mamata , TMC and their associated whiners.

Mark my words. Amma will be ruthless in ramming through flood control and other measures, especially now , given that there will be popular approval for this. There is a precedent for this sort of stuff in Madurai along the riverbanks when it was done earlier.

Now expect some serious kind of similar stuff to happen in Chennai as well.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 04 Dec 2015 12:22

chetak, insurance is same everywhere in the world. They will find a 100 loopholes, before paying anything. Only the auto insurance guys have a well-oiled system, but even there, the denials are quite common

The Chennai residents will have to apply for national disaster relief funds, if at all they get it. Most of such funds go towards infra repair. Tough times indeed.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 04 Dec 2015 12:56

Insurance will not pay for the damage in Chennai. Flood damage is usually a separate policy, and it typically does not go into effect immediately but only after a period of time, so people don't simply go out and buy policies the day before heavy rain is forecast.

The total damage in Chennai will amount to billions of dollars, perhaps Rs.50,000 cr or more. It's not something a collection of insurance policies can fix, but under able stewardship, it's a fantastic opportunity for the city to rebuild on modern lines that no other major Indian metro can. The quesion really is, is there such will ? The central government can support the measure in various ways. For example, there's a recent push to enable states and cities to independently issue their own bond offerings.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 04 Dec 2015 13:49

Most of the material damages are personal belongings due to flooding of houses. Infra damages would be less here as roads, transmission /distribution lines have held up well except in one or two cases. These repairs should not take more than a month or two if done on war footing. power will be restored quickly once water is drained.. Switches might need to be replaced. Luckily not much report of transformer damages as that takes time.

PM Relief fund or national calamity fund can not be used to reimburse individual losses. I am afraid these would have to be by themselves.

There are still pockets of flooded areas where people are stranded and they have to be evacuated , hopefully by today or tomorrow. OMR, Satyabhama, , other low lying colonies .

Immediate need is sanitation, cleaning of areas and sprinkling of larvacidal in stagnant water bodies to prevent disease outbreak.

Maintain supplies of goods and essential commodities, medicine, milk, fuel to avoid a run on the stores.

Restoration of transportation system , rail and airport to help stranded persons may be needed.

Chennai will be up and running in no time.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 04 Dec 2015 14:37

REQUEST TO MODI GOV

- PL USE THE JAN DHAN TO DISTRIBUTE MONEY DIRECT TO THEIR ACCOUNTS
- PUBLIC ASSETS REPAIRS, contracts and progress monitored like they do the roads/swacch bharat online now

Reduce corruption. Only benefit the affected.

------'-

We also need ro assess the damage from space. Has ISRO released any pics?

Sridhar K · Post by **Sridhar K** » 04 Dec 2015 17:26

Very bad news. 18 people are reported dead in MIOT hospital supposedly in ICU. Reported in Times now

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 04 Dec 2015 17:35

Our people are conditioned to make do. The city will be back on its feet in just a few days.

member_29267 · Post by **member_29267** » 04 Dec 2015 17:42

Its not just Chennai...Even though it has stopped raining in Chennai, I hear Cuddalore and some other places is still bearing the brunt of heavy rains. I hope people who are helping out Chennai can concentrate a part of the resources on these other places (which are not getting much media or sm attention compared to Chennai) which are still seeing very heavy rains

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 04 Dec 2015 17:53

ramana wrote:

For relief!

Isn't that a scene from "bahubali" or something

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Dec 2015 17:59

Yes.

Its Jaya as Sivagami in the Bahubali role saving TamilNadu.

Meaning of the poster is TN will rise again. Not a disparagement.

KrishAgain, many small towns on the East Coast TN are deluge.

The Telugu news channel spelled Cuddalore as Kuduluru. That makes sense. Bloody English massacred names.

member_29267 · Post by **member_29267** » 04 Dec 2015 18:25

Not sure about where the video is from....Description says this was near Chembarrambakkam Lake. People were stuck inside the house.