CHENNAI: After the deluge, water may have receded along the Adyar and Cooum as well as other low lying areas but the scars of nature’s naked fury are still wide open with many parts of the city and its suburbs still remaining inundated.
The New Indian Express accompanied Coast Guard pilot commandant Rohit Vohra, in a chopper on a sortie. He had been called for duty from Porabandar to provide food supplies to the flood-hit people.
An aerial view provided a glimpse of the monstrosity of the devastation. Probably, it might take few more days for the city’s interior parts to dry off. Areas in East Coast Road, Thoraipakkam, Velachery, Valasaravakkam are still deep in water even as normalcy was returning.
As the Central agencies, including the Coast Guard, were organising medical camps in coordination with the State government agencies, it appeared that normalcy could return if there was no fresh spell of heavy rains.
Commandant Vohra, who had also flown in with aid during the 2004 tsunami that struck Tamil Nadu, was happy to play a crucial role in providing food supplies to the flood hit. “We air dropped 1.6 tonnes of food supplies and I have been flying 17 sorties,” said the pilot who has 4,000 hours of flying experience.
There are patches of water in Ramapuram, Velachery, Perumbakkam, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Kelambakkam and Perumbakkam.
While areas like Jaffekhanpet, Saidapet, Kotturpuram may have somewhat dried out, it would take time for these areas to bounce back.The marshy lands of Pallikaranai and the residential apartments nearby were still marooned indicating builders encroaching upon the marsh lands.
A huge multi-storied building almost looked like an island. Velachery was akin to Venice. And the Porur lake unusually looked magnanimous since it is filled to brim after many years.