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Rediff.com’s A Ganesh Nadar visits Pallikaranai, which went through terrible times in the Chennai floods last year and which once again faced nature's fury with cyclone Vardha.
Pallikaranai, on the outskirts of Chennai, was one of the worst affected areas in the floods that ravaged the city last December. For the locals, this week’s cyclone Vardha served to bring back last year’s nightmare they can never forget.
Mary Amma, a 60-year-old resident, recalls the December 2015 floods, “All our houses were submerged and under water for a week. We lost everything. We stayed in the church for the entire week and they fed us there. When we came back to our homes the church people sent us back with biscuits and bread that lasted for another week. We are still thankful to them.”
“This year Cyclone Vardah just ripped apart one wall of my thatched house. I have tied it up with ropes now and I am not going to touch it as it will fall down and I don’t have the money to build it. Will first save some money and then repair it. The power came back on Wednesday evening. Cable television is still not working. My grandchildren have gone to school on today (Thursday). Their exams are on.”
Vijay, a young man said, “My house is still under a feet of water. I don’t have the money to hire a diesel pump to get rid of the water. We will wait for the municipal corporation to do it or I will wait for the sun to dry it.”
A young lady working in a motorcycle showroom said, “My house does not have water or power. I don’t know when it will come. No one knows but everyday they tell you the same thing. It will be done by evening.”
The owner of showroom T Gunaseelan, an ex-army man said, “Last year we were lucky, this entire area was flooded but water did not come into our shop premises. Our homes were flooded and I lost my television, bed and other household items.”
“This year the cyclone has caused damage to my shop’s exteriors. There is no power or the internet. My mobile is not working but my landline is working. We cannot service vehicles till the power comes back. My workmen are sitting idle.”
Many huts were still under water. The people living here had moved to government camps. There was no effort to pump out the water. “It will not go with a pump. This is a low-lying area. There were lakes here which have been built upon and now we have to live with floods every time it rains,” said a local shopkeeper.
What was amazing was that the streets lying in the interior like IT Colony had their power back the previous evening but the main road had no power. Thus, most banks in the area are not working, adding to the residents’ woes. “Don’t even talk about them, they don’t work on normal days, now they must be defunct,” said Gunaseelan.
The restoration of power in some areas has brought cheer to some people. But for the water to go down it will take time. And if it rains in the meanwhile then there is no hope.
“You cannot compare Vardah with the floods last year. The floods had us paralysed for a week. Vardah scared us for a few hours,” said a mechanic.