Special Correspondent

People help themselves in south Chennai

December 14, 2016 01:03 am | Updated 10:56 am IST - CHENNAI:

A relief camp on Kuppam Beach Road in Thiruvanmiyur.

A relief camp on Kuppam Beach Road in Thiruvanmiyur.

A day after cyclone Vardah ravaged the city, residents are coming to terms with the devastation caused.

In most areas, police, residents and Corporation and forest officials are involved in clearing the road for vehicular traffic.

Electric saws and earthmovers were used to collect the debris. In many residential areas, people gathered to watch trees being cleared from roads in the hope that power would be restored. However, even by 6 p.m., many areas were in the dark.

In Nanganallur, generator sets are in much demand said S. Vaidehi. “We have a sump to store Palar water and an overhead tank for borewell water. Here, many people are seeking out generator operators. They operate the generator and charge us Rs. 300 per hour. The money is paid from the maintenance account,” she said.

“BSNL telephone lines are working. So, all we are missing is electricity. With water taken care of, much of our problem is solved,” she explained.

Southern suburbs

In parts of Madipakkam, even as Corporation officials cleared the uprooted trees, electricity board officials kept a watch.

In many areas, residents helped the personnel in clearing the branches and trees. Residents pitched in to help the personnel in clearing the wall of Karthikeyapuram community hall that had collapsed after a tree fell on it.

In Sheela Nagar, electric poles had broken into two and a transformer was hanging precariously. A tree, that was part of Ponniamman Koil, was also uprooted.

The green cover in southern suburbs has suffered extensive damage.

In Tambaram alone, there were reports of trees being uprooted from over 680 locations and municipal workers along with personnel from Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department removed them using tree clippers and earthmovers.

The damage at Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur was extensive with more than 7,500 trees reportedly damaged, according to officials.

However, animals were safe in their enclosures .

On Tuesday, a weekly holiday for the zoo, workers cleared the pathways strewn with stems and leaves. They are in the process of procuring high-end tree cutting equipment from their counterparts in other centres. It might take four or five days for the work to be completed, a Forest Department official said.

As power supply is not expected to be restored by Wednesday, officials are considering ways to provide drinking water to visitors. The zoo would be open on Wednesday, officials said.

Seeking relief

In a relief camp on Kuppam Beach Road in Thiruvanmiyur, tempers were high as families awaited relief.

Fisher families had been moved into the Greater Chennai Primary School on Sunday night and were given food and shelter. But on Tuesday, a group of women were upset that they had been neglected.

Gomathi and her mother-in-law live in shacks on the road and branches that fell from the trees on the street had broken through their roof, they complained.

“We received Rs. 5,000 after last year’s flood. But this time we are not sure as we are not in the relief camp but have been affected,” said Gomathi, a domestic help.

There are around a dozen families living in shacks and one-room tenements along the road. They said they moved away from the shore after the tsunami, but are now regretting their decision. Food is being served at the centre and power supply has been maintained in the school using generators.

According to the Chennai Corporation website, 27 relief centres have been set up and 610 people are staying in them. So far, 1,100 food packets have been distributed and cooking being done in 39 centres, the website said.

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