Chennai rains: Saina to donate Rs 2 lakh for TN flood victims

The NDRF, which has so far rescued over 9,000 people stranded by the rains, is expected to step up its efforts Friday as the region becomes more accessible.

“What is heartwarming is that the people of Chennai are helping out”, said Arun Ebenezer, who has been forced to stay with a friend for three days after rain began to beat down over the city on Tuesday.

The severe flood situation in Chennai, India, has been aggravated and worsened by the continuing downpour in what is seen as the “wettest December day” in some 100 years recorded.

An aircraft inundated with floodwaters in Chennai, after the southern Indian city was struck by incessant rainfall.

“We want to do everything but the problem is beyond our control”.

Police and government officials said they were investigating the deaths of 14 patients on life-support after a power failure in the intensive care unit of MIOT International, a private hospital.

After their separate aerial surveys, Jayalalithaa had on Thursday met the Prime Minister and urged for an immediate relief of Rs 5,000 crore, to which he responded by announcing Rs 1000 crore more for relief work in Tamil Nadu.

The industrial area that lies on the outskirts of Chennai is considered to be the “Detroit of India” as it houses one of India’s largest automotive hubs.

The unexpected onslaught of heavy rains in the southern state of Tamil Nadu has battered Chennai’s automotive industry.

V Raghunathan, 60, a manager at an interior design company living in the south of the booming industrial and port city, complained about the lack of warning before flood gates were opened on some of Chennai’s 30 waterways.

Some areas are still badly affected and remain cut off. Rescue teams are now focussing on these neighbourhoods while trying to get food and medicines to thousands of people who have been affected.

Chennai airport, where operations were suspended till Sunday in the wake of floods, will partially resume flight operations from Saturday morning. “We have deployed all necessary assets and the only bottleneck in our efforts is the weather”, said Air Marshal S R K Nair, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Training Command). “Food, clothes – all gone”, she said.

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Calling India a “strong partner” the U.S. has said that it stands ready “to assist the people of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as well as the Government of India as they face the worst flooding in decades”.