Rain shows no sign of letting up in this deluged city and in several coastal parts of Tamil Nadu.
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Facebook’s safety check feature lets people mark themselves safe and notify their friends about their safety during a crisis situation. A website, chennairains.org, has put out a list of places that are offering accommodation and food to people affected by rains.
As Chennai battled the rain and flood, Facebook on Thursday activated its Safety Check feature for the city residents.
Also, Google has launched its own resource page to help out people from floods. Facebook sends a question to the people hailing from the southern city asking if they are safe. Many were stranded in their homes, with the army and air force deployed for rescue operations across the city.
The social network had in the past been criticised for being selective in activating Safety Check, with outrage being expressed after it unusually activated the feature following the Paris terrorist attacks last month. This tool, introduced in October past year and first activated during the Nepal earthquakes of April, effectively lets Facebook users mark themselves as being safe, so their connected friends and family are aware of their condition during times of natural and man-made calamities.
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While the ruthless flood spared no expense in trembling Chennai to its fullest, tech companies are making sure that they contribute their bit in the ongoing relief work. It also provides a way for friends and families to find their loved ones in the affected areas directly from the social networking site.
