December 2015

10 Things That Changed During Chennai Floods 2015

My Encounter with Chennai Floods 2015

Witnessing likes, tweets and comments flooding on our social media platform regarding the disastrous flood and the support came across boundaries left me in gracious proud. Those statements about donations, love, support, help and duty promoted values of brotherhood. After a safe encounter with Chennai floods, my memory about the week left interesting pieces that are rare patches of green in the city. My memories about the day was not that huge qualities and thoughts, but were true limning of a coming back towards human roots.

Myself, born and brought up in the serenity of green paddy fields and flushing purity of backwaters in Kuttanad, felt untroubled when warned about the flood threat. Shifted to the hectic city, it was strange experiencing crowd, pollution and noise. For us people in Kuttanadu, floods are like annual guests in which he visits us twice or thrice every year, he scavenges our house, let government allow holidays for school and take the old with him on his return. Staying inside the vanity aura, built with strong-confidence, footed in experience from childhood was my stand. The factor that differ our small flood expected village from the over-packed commercial Chennai stayed low and silent.

I lived in Thiruvanmiyur, 500 meter near beach, third floor of a less spacious apartment, with my cousin, his friends and college mates. There was an ample supply of rain last week that gave me an unusual intemperate climate alert. Travelling almost twenty kilometers everyday to reach my office situated in 'Anna Nagar' made a three hour routine through the heart of the city crossing Adyar River, Anna University, Saidapet, T Nagar, Nungambakkam, etc. was long. Roads were flooded partially in the first day itself and it took three to four hours for me to make a travel one side.

It was nostalgic for me to spectate over the waves that showered pedestrians in formal costumes. Those memories gave the dispirited man a crazy Kuttanad feeling. Unlike others, I enjoyed rain as a coming back of my best friend, who traveled all hills and tops in search of his favorite ally. It was a mesmerizing week with sprinkled drops on face and chill mornings that supported warm sleep. But by the time transportation became infeasible resulting in termination of public transport services. It wasn't strange for me and for that reason, the mood helped me to follow the usual pattern of office workaday.
The pathway adventures worked extra hours on my journey, eating some time from my office hours letting me land at the office doorstep by noon. End of the day, when I stepped out from office many college news sources commented on my possibility in returning Thiruvanmiyur. Realizing the condition of getting stuck in there, my cheeks clutched an antic smile. The possibility of returning faded when office-mate's counselling forced me to stay back with a college bachelor nearby. It was the start of December that awaited salary with his empty wallet. My college who accommodated me borrowed money for my food and that let me decide from the sentimental scene about returning Thiruvanmiyur again. When the morning light hit hard, shining in the reflecting water surface, presented Chennai people a ray of positive hope. The way back to my place should cross our office and I got a tortoise bus that dragged through water in order to reach the bus stop near office. 'It will add a nice memory,' I thought while the bus card me in its foot-board with my feet totally under water. In front of the office stood MD, with an anxious expression on rising water level. Office announced its shut down due to scarcity in electric power that escaped yesterday from the city. MD expressed his concern for me in travelling back the whole affected route. It was that time I saw a bus with its board written 'Beseant Nagar' reaching the bus stop ahead. Even though it took some energy in running for me to get the bus, my heart pounded with hope. Few seconds later, while recollecting my lucky coincidence, making myself stand in comfort, bus conductor interrupted. “This bus will only go till T Nagar, if you want to step down please step down here” Soon, my lucky destiny collapsed with the false coincidence realization. There I had a long way to go and all I had was 50 rupees. It was a tricky enough situation to challenge my confidence and self-motivating became important so that those old trips we managed without money was helping my mind.

Reaching T Nagar makes it half way, god must be waiting for my arrival to open some other way; I thought.

While reaching T Nagar I saw a bus turning towards the other half way of my journey. So because it was closer, I jumped out from the bus and ran towards the other bus, but the doors were closed. That bus moved faster through the less water releasing huge waves, gaining power to contest with the deeper sections of upcoming road.

Someway I found peace with the situation, confirming ‘there are still buses in that route.’ So I decided to wait for the next bus to come. The waves and water gave me a cheering energy to play in it with my foot touching water. While water level made progressive updating, I spend time watching those people around, isolated on their way back home. After an hour, fed up with the anticipation, I decided to get a tea for cheering up from freezing. While waiting at the tea shop with the paid bill, there came two buses passing through the way where I wanted to go. I made myself calm and concentrated back on tea. After finishing the tea, I theoretically ran through the water to catch the bus. Both of us were slow but I missed it within ten meters distance. Blaming my thought for tea and the minute, I waited for another two hours and realized those where the last piece of hope. Without leaving myself to mental dilemma, I thought of walking the remaining route. Within time I started exploring the deeper liquid concentrations on road towards the outskirts of T Nagar.

Even though I explain myself performing a dangerous operation, there was kids, ladies and senior citizens walking along with me. The eagle eye view at this particular minute will surely make you think of an ‘End of the World’ picture. People disordered and sequestered in the middle of endless water, moving here and there; unpredictable about the next moment.

I must have walked almost three kilometers to reach ‘Saidapet’, an area with lot of poor people living in slums near river side. It felt like stepping into comfort zone when I reached out of T Nagar; but I realized it was just a foolish feeling when I walked further towards the river side. Those people there, lost their homes and some lives when the swollen river started its destructive race. There was only slight shattering of small droplets, but the effect last rain brought was devastating.

People where all running around, here and there, someone holding someone motionless in his shoulder like holding a dead body, shop fronts seemed crowded like never before, bus stands became shelter for large groups to escape from rain, old ladies were crying for unknown reason, some policemen are still searching for a safe place to stand and secure themselves and lot more was moving around.

While I started moving further the highway ended with a huge crowd. Some are holding their cameras in their raised up hands. I expected a worst massacre output of wild flowing river. I saw the other side through a camera; the river was overflowing up the bridge, and the bus I missed was set apart at the bulging part of that bridge, unable to move further. Even though I lost hope of reaching home, I felt good about my unfortunate luck of missing that bus and thanked god for the tea thought.

Rain started its next innings after the half break. Some people ran back to shop fronts and tree shades and some remained there looking for their loved ones among the dead updates coming within short intervals. I found an advertisement sheet hanged nearby and raised its two ends to cover me from rain. Later another guy joined me followed by two ladies. I was thinking about the existence of any other possible way to get back home. I enquired my partner in shelter guy, explaining the situation. He explained me back about his much worse condition, where his house floor is already under water and he finally instruct me another way back home. The next bridge. He is not sure about its condition, but I can make a risky try, if I’m ready to walk a long way round through water and rain, towards the next bridge. I rechecked my wallet. I have less than fifty with me now and that regained my confidence to reach home. When the rain took a slight pause, I started my long walk towards the next bridge. On the way I found an ATM where some three guys gathered for shelter from rain. I stepped into the ATM to check whether I have something left in my account, even though I know there was nothing. Watchman stopped me from entering and said, “No money sir, it’s out of order.”

Apart from the watchman there was two other guys waiting at its front, one Tamil guy and the other from Orissa. For the Tamil guy; his parents the other side of river has no money with them, he should cross the river and take care of them. For the guy from Orissa; his parents have money but they don’t know any other language than Oriya, he should cross the river to buy them food. For the watchman, he came three days back, the substitute for him is on the other side, and he can only leave only if the other security reach this side.

I felt great; I have no that bad situation like these people. When I enquired about the other way to go other side they show negative reactions. They said there are no way possible to get the other part of that river. Even they discouraged me with a rumor that spread instant. After a while, discarding all those negativity, I decided to start towards Thiruvanmiyur. It was the level 2 game for me.

After a while, due to continuous freezing I had a feeling for liquid out flow. It was more than any other essential feeling that I have to find a proper place for the dispose. I bumbled through water for getting out from that weird feeling and unwillingly slowed the activeness of walking. I walked back almost one kilometer towards T Nagar and find a queue before the cigarette shop. There was only limited stock of cigarettes in that shop and I saw the patience in people that resembled the queue before beverages in Kerala. So because it was freezing cold with rain wet cloths and slow wind I joined the queue for a cigarette. But I was in the other side of luck again this time. The man who stood before me was the lucky guy to get the last cigarette in that store. I didn’t wanted to loose, I bought a pack of ‘Chandrika beedi’, lit one and continued walking. At some places of heavy water log, water marked its level in my chest. With a cover in my hand raised upwards I tried moving fast through water. I’m not like the other ones around, I’m experienced, I can move fast. I tried motivating myself.

Finally I walk crossing a part of T Nagar, Teynampet, Alwarpet and some other unknown areas and finally reached a kilometre before Adyar Bridge. The only possible way ahead to cross the other side. In that long walk that took some three hours, I saw a lot of things happening around. A family taking selfie up in a car after their car get off in the water, kids playing in the little waves that comes when huge trucks pass by, young guys creating new water games for a session, and much more.

“By the way I’m much closer right now. Let me relax for a minute; it is freezing heavily.”

I took a ‘beedi’ and tried firing it. But the match box is destroyed and it can’t make fire anymore. So I decided to try the alternate option. I tried firing it from a nearby store, the store keeper fired me away, then tried asking for help to an auto driver; he didn’t help. Finally that guy entered the scene. Gokul; man with the heart of an angel, the unknown angel of my story. He approached me with his fire lighter, asked about my way, and finally offered me a lift in his Pulsar150 bike as the third person. Rain was dropping heavily, he didn’t shatter from the two he got from roadside. He dropped me in Thiruvanmiyur, the angel of good heart. He smiled with satisfaction, knowing god gave him another chance to win. It was around six when I reached back in home, where there my roommates waited for my arrival with confidence. After giving my legs a thirty minute break, we walk out to the street for purchasing food for the next five days.

The street was unexpectedly crowded, even though there wasn’t much waterlogged roads there, compared to my unusual experience. But some thoughts surprised me.

There was No Bank, No ATM Services, No Electricity, No Charge in e-Gadgets, No Hotels, No Food, No Petrol, No Transportation, and No Network for three days.

1. There was fresh air, zero vehicle sound, washed out canals, clean leaves, and a holy atmosphere in which only Nature can provide.

2. People started walking slow; there is nothing to rush, No Colleges, No Offices.

3. Everyone started talking each other; No Electricity, No Charge in e-Gadgets, No Network.

4. The poor started begging or starving, Rich started cooking, No Bank, No ATM Services, No Hotels, No Food.

5. Every Supermarket displayed the board "No Candles, No Bread, No Milk", like the slogan of basic life.

6. Parents got enough time to spend with their Kids; Teens started talking to their mother, because boyfriends and girlfriends are a phone range away. No Charge in e-Gadgets.

7. Everyone get introduced to their neighborhood and started playing and talking together.

8. Street workers experienced peace at their home shade and daytime professionals saw daytime sunlight and Fresh air. No Electricity, No Fan, No Charge in e-Gadgets, No indoor works.

9. With closed eyes anyone can hear the chanting sound of human talk, like the old classrooms in the absence of teacher.

10. During the bad intervals of disaster also, rumor creating tongues didn’t stop. Whatever be the pathetic situation, nothing can change a bad human behavior (rumor spreading tongue).

Moral of the story: Whatever advanced the modern man thinks he is, Nature can turn it around, fresh like the old, within time.