The heavy downpour over the last few days has literally thrown life out of gear in the city. Several actors have also been hit hard by the floods. Rajkiran and his family were recently rescued by relief personnel after the area where the actor resides was inundated. So was Arun Vijay’s family, who were trapped in their house at Ekkatuthangal.
Arun Vijay told City Express, “Yes, it is true. I was in Mumbai when this incident happened. My mom, her cousin sister and the kids were at home when the heavy rains began. Water from an adjoining lake was released. When my mom opened the front door on the morning of December 2, water gushed into my house. She called me up to say that they were moving upstairs and that I needn’t worry. I switched on the CCTV cameras to see the situation and was shocked to see the steering wheels of my cars submerged in water. Fifteen minutes later, the power was out and CCTVs were shut. The water rose really fast.”
Arun Vijay, who was supposed to return the next morning to Chennai, said that he was so worried that he immediately flew first to Hyderabad and then to Bengaluru, from where he drove to Chennai.
“I couldn’t get a direct flight. So, I got back home as soon as possible, in whichever way I could. Meanwhile, I called my brother-in-law (director Hari) from Mumbai and briefed him about the situation. He immediately sent two of his assistant directors to help my family members get out. However, the place had been cordoned off by then as the water levels had risen considerably and the current was also strong,” he said.
“The ADs convinced the security personnel that there were people trapped in my house and somehow managed to get to my place. However, my family couldn’t be rescued until the next evening, when the boats arrived. It would have really helped if a warning had been issued about the water scheduled to be discharged from the lake. Ekkatuthangal was the first to be hit and it was badly affected,” he rued.
Stating that he was not sure about the losses he suffered, Arun Vijay said he was more worried about the safety of others who may still be trapped. “When I visited the place, the water level had receded to knee-level in my house. All my cars had sunk and things were destroyed. But I am not worried about all of that. I am thankful that my family is out and safe,” he said.
The actor, who borrowed his friend’s car, is now busy aiding relief teams help flood victims who are still stranded. “I am heading to Lady Andal School, which is the headquarters of the relief operations by the Nadigar Sangam,” the actor said.