The deluge in Chennai city caused by either seasonal rain or cyclones such as Michaung of December, 2023, has created a serious impact on the life of common people. The rain and inundation have left these people especially living in the low-lying areas homeless, hungry, and helpless. It has, further, led to heavy loss of material things and affected the very morale of the people.
The experiences have led to the realisation that certain action plans are to be charted and implemented on a war footing to avoid the routine disaster. Rainwater harvesting that was insisted upon years back still holds good and it is to be strengthened on an immediate basis.
Not only does it replenish the groundwater but also prevents unnecessary flooding on the streets. At the same time, the drainage system in the city has to be maintained periodically and cleaned on a regular basis. Awareness among the people about the garbage disposal, particularly plastic materials, should be spread. Breaching the code of conduct should be severely viewed and dealt with.
Strategic use of dredging and desilting the waterbodies, including the Cooum river is the need of the hour. In addition, the canals connecting the Cooum river are also to be cleaned on a regular basis to enable the water flow. Such remedial actions taken only prior to the monsoon is not the solution. It may certainly help us to maintain the hygiene of the people residing closer to these waterbodies and start the process of beautifying the surroundings. The water draining system using advanced water suction pumps may, well in advance, be ensured to drain the stagnated water instantly during the heavy rain and floods.
The state government should be very stern on the act of occupying the waterbodies legally or illegally. The canals connecting the sea and the marshy lands such as Pallikaranai should be cleared and even protected from unauthorised occupants. The government machinery should swiftly act on water resource and reservoir management.
More importantly, the awareness of the people on communicable diseases, the preventive measures and cleanliness of their surroundings have to be raised, and they may be encouraged to drink hot water, use mosquito repellent and keep their places litter-free. Above all, the government may introduce an awareness programme and let people take the pride of being a responsible citizen in supporting and enabling the government in water disposal, maintaining cleanliness, etc and be rewarded or awarded as ‘Chennai Citizen’.
Loyola College and Department of Service Learning in collaboration with NGOs have, time and again, responded to the adverse situation proactively by reaching out to the helpless people in the neighbourhood and bringing them to the campus, giving them shelter, attending to their basic needs such as food and water, providing them with rain relief materials including provisions, offering them counselling, engaging the children in relief camps, and bridging the gap between those in need and those willing to help.
In the rainy season, the state government should walk the extra mile to chalk out the action plans and protect the city dwellers from the woes of the floods. Keeping the quantum of the remedial measures during the rain and floods, it is strongly suggested that the common people take the responsibility of maintaining their surroundings litter-free, deciding not to encroach the public spaces and supporting the government machinery to protect the environment. The action plan of the government and the responsibility of the common people should complement each other. One may even recall, cleanliness begins at home.
(The author is principal of Loyola College, Chennai)
