The second spell of heavy rains have made floods in Chennai reach frightening proportions, with aerial photos and videos of arterial roads turning into rivulets with flyovers acting as markers, stranded people being herded out of their homes by whatever means possible. Things had reached the tipping point during the first wet spell, which lasted nearly two weeks, but the current one brought the city face to face with catastrophe, with even the airport being shut down.
Ironically the city was once synonymous with perennially hot climate, scanty rains, water shortages with long queues and high decibel quarrels before hand-pumps dotting street corners in the older parts of the city. Weathermen used to rationalize the city's aridity by claiming that Chennai happened to be in a rain shadow area.
Even when it rained it used to be more like dew drops and those driving cars had to first switch on wind shield washers to make it wet enough for the wipers to clear the blurry wind shield. Heavy showers were very rare and those carrying umbrellas were dismissed as being sissy.
A perceptible change occurred after the region was rocked by Asian tsunami in 2004. As the north east monsoon hit Chennai in 2005 the raindrops were far bigger and lethal, the showers were of much longer duration. That was the year hurricane Katrina struck US and Chennai too had its own 'cyclone season', some of which brought heavy rains that crippled the city.
I happened to be there in 2005 floods and it used to be quite an eerie feeling while crossing the Chintadripet bridge on my bike with a swollen Cooum in full flow. The water levels were just 2-3 feet shy of overflowing the bridge and the river's current was quite intimidating.
Another factor that puts Chennai at a disadvantage vis-a-vis floods is its soil composition. It has a heavy clay content and the absorption of water is poor. Hence inundated areas remain waterlogged for long, due to low percolation. They soon turn into a haunt for cattle, mosquitoes and flies, thereby posing a health hazard to nearby residents.
Like all Indian cities Chennai too has its own share of encroachments on the banks of waterways, lakes and tanks, all thanks to the usual suspects - corrupt political class and bureaucracy, unscrupulous real estate barons and a huge demand for housing.
Moreover, whatever was left of these water bodies was allowed to accumulate silt and indiscriminate dumping of waste, both by factories and households. Hence apart from pollution and stench, the carrying capacity major waterways of the city such as Adyar, Buckingham Canal, Cooum got severely depleted, leaving excess waters to flood low lying areas.
Many trot out the argument that if any city gets a month's rain in a day, it won't be able to cope, however well planned it may be. But this no way absolves the authorities, rapacious builders and factory owners from their guilt in bringing Chennai to such a pass. If the waterways were free from silt, garbage and encroachments then the magnitude of floods would have been much less and the excess water would have drained off to the sea at much faster rate.
After the first wet spell when a cab aggregator came up with the service to supply boats to the distressed people, it invited incredulous smirks and many dismissed it as nothing more than a publicity stunt. But with the second spell the reality, quite literally, sank in. Boats and dinghies became a lifeline to rescue the marooned.
Also Read: Bangalore Beat
Ironically the city was once synonymous with perennially hot climate, scanty rains, water shortages with long queues and high decibel quarrels before hand-pumps dotting street corners in the older parts of the city. Weathermen used to rationalize the city's aridity by claiming that Chennai happened to be in a rain shadow area.
Even when it rained it used to be more like dew drops and those driving cars had to first switch on wind shield washers to make it wet enough for the wipers to clear the blurry wind shield. Heavy showers were very rare and those carrying umbrellas were dismissed as being sissy.
A perceptible change occurred after the region was rocked by Asian tsunami in 2004. As the north east monsoon hit Chennai in 2005 the raindrops were far bigger and lethal, the showers were of much longer duration. That was the year hurricane Katrina struck US and Chennai too had its own 'cyclone season', some of which brought heavy rains that crippled the city.
I happened to be there in 2005 floods and it used to be quite an eerie feeling while crossing the Chintadripet bridge on my bike with a swollen Cooum in full flow. The water levels were just 2-3 feet shy of overflowing the bridge and the river's current was quite intimidating.
Another factor that puts Chennai at a disadvantage vis-a-vis floods is its soil composition. It has a heavy clay content and the absorption of water is poor. Hence inundated areas remain waterlogged for long, due to low percolation. They soon turn into a haunt for cattle, mosquitoes and flies, thereby posing a health hazard to nearby residents.
Like all Indian cities Chennai too has its own share of encroachments on the banks of waterways, lakes and tanks, all thanks to the usual suspects - corrupt political class and bureaucracy, unscrupulous real estate barons and a huge demand for housing.
Moreover, whatever was left of these water bodies was allowed to accumulate silt and indiscriminate dumping of waste, both by factories and households. Hence apart from pollution and stench, the carrying capacity major waterways of the city such as Adyar, Buckingham Canal, Cooum got severely depleted, leaving excess waters to flood low lying areas.
Many trot out the argument that if any city gets a month's rain in a day, it won't be able to cope, however well planned it may be. But this no way absolves the authorities, rapacious builders and factory owners from their guilt in bringing Chennai to such a pass. If the waterways were free from silt, garbage and encroachments then the magnitude of floods would have been much less and the excess water would have drained off to the sea at much faster rate.
After the first wet spell when a cab aggregator came up with the service to supply boats to the distressed people, it invited incredulous smirks and many dismissed it as nothing more than a publicity stunt. But with the second spell the reality, quite literally, sank in. Boats and dinghies became a lifeline to rescue the marooned.
Also Read: Bangalore Beat
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