Chennai: Unprecedented rains, exceeding the downpour of the chilling 2015 floods that caused widespread devastation, brought normal life to a standstill in Chennai, which went without electricity and public transport on Monday as Cyclone Michaung persisted close to the city, inundating low-lying areas, marooning people in their flats and displacing many from their homes. Suburban trains, Metro Rail services and flight operations were totally disrupted by the rains that flooded all the tracks and the runway. Most of the trains bound for Chennai could not enter the city and had to be stopped in stations outside the city limits.
Reports said six persons lost their lives in rain-related incidents.
The cyclone is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday forenoon and the weather office has forecast heavy rains accompanied by strong winds on Monday night, too.
The weather office said the rainfall had exceeded 36 cm (in one day) by afternoon itself and that was more than the 2015 floods and with no sign of the situation changing during the day.
The government declared Tuesday a holiday in the four districts.
Two migrant workers from Jharkhand Zaheer (20) and Afroch (30) died when the wall of the house they were constructing fell on the tiled roof of the old house they were staying at Kanathur near the Old Mabalipuram Road. A third worker, Mohammad Taufiq, has been injured seriously in the incident.
The non-stop rains since Sunday night flooded the roads and threw life out of gear as the day dawned to a heavily overcast sky and chill weather that kept people inside the homes expecting the cyclone to cross the coast during the day enabling them to return to normal life by afternoon, which was not to be.
People who were supposed to work from home suffered since the Electricity Board switched off the power lines following the death of a pedestrian due to an electric leak in Manaday. Many mobile phone connections also went off due to the inclement weather.
Those having to go for work had to drop the idea totally as public transport came to a grinding halt. While the state transport corporation buses went off the roads, operators of share and regular auto rickshaws also did not stir out. Only vehicles connected to essential services such as milk supply, transport of vegetables and garbage clearance ran on the roads.
Though the state had declared a holiday for offices, schools and colleges in the districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu in advance, those having private enterprises were taken for a surprise as they set out to resume their workday.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, electricity minister Thangam Thennarasu, other ministers and DMK leaders were out since morning trying to restore normality even as the deluge continued to disrupt normal life. While the electricity minister promised to restore power once the cyclone crossed the coast, the moment never came through the day.
While most of the small eateries and restaurants did not open at all, a few that began business as usual did not have many customers as people did not stir outdoors. Not many food delivery agents were seen on the roads that remained deserted with vehicles splashing through the flooded roads once in a while.
Almost the entire city went under water and even posh localities were not spared. The AIADMK office in upmarket Lloyds Road saw water gushing into the building for the first time. South Chennai suburbs and localities of common people in North Chennai were inundated, forcing people to find shelter elsewhere.
Since the government had made arrangements for the setting up of relief camps in advance, many of the people could move in and get food, water and cover from the rains.
Though the government had made preparations for providing relief to those who normally get displaced from their homes during rains, no one was prepared for a day at home with no electricity and Internet, for the downpour surpassed all predictions and expectations.
To add to the people’s inconvenience, social media was abuzz with videos of frightening vignettes from across the city – of posh cars being swept away from their parking spaces in apartment complexes and vehicles going under a thick sheet of water on main roads.
