People refused to leave their valuables

“On November 17, we rescued close to a thousand people, stranded on OMR. The stretch, which is the IT Corridor of Chennai, has many IT companies, educational institutions and women’s hostels. We got a call from one of the hostel inmates about the rising water level. Only when we reached, we realised how bad the situation was. We had to access these areas by boat, which we had to transport using trucks. It felt so surreal, rowing through the streets of Chennai, on which we once drove.

Once it became dark, there were snakes all over the place. There was close to 12 ft of water and the entire ground floor of some houses was submerged.

Several elderly people were hesitant to leave their valuables and come out. We had to convince them to lock their valuables and leave, because it was not safe. Most houses had no means of communication as mobile phones were switched off due to lack of electricity. We had to make them understand the drawbacks of the situation.

Many expats who live near Global Hospitals were stranded. I remember one Sri Lankan family, whose 10-year-old son had recently undergone surgery, was worried that the rain and damp would hamper his recovery. We have been consistently working towards rescuing people. We have had many individuals and organisations come forward and donate food. Those who are left homeless, require basic essentials, like clothes and utensils. We have started collecting relief materials to help families rebuild their lives. Though the immediate danger is over, the process of rebuilding has to start and this would require support from the government as well as the citizens of Chennai.”