Chennaiites to the rescue of stranded people, stray dogs

While many had a sense of déjà vu, as with 2015, on Thursday night too, Chennaiites stepped forward to help each other. “My car broke down near the Egmore Station. 

A few strangers came forward to push the vehicle, but it was of no use and water entered the silencer the car. One shopkeeper on the stretch offered me a plastic cover for my head at once. He also allowed me to wait till the rains eased. This was at 11 pm. He allowed me to rest in his shop till 4 am. He even offered me food and water,” says Madan Karla, a businessman. 

Social media too was alive with messages of peo

ple stranded in many places and others responding by opening up their homes to take shelter till the rain abated. “After seeing messages of my friends being stranded in different areas for hours, I posted a message offering a roof and hot food to those who were nearby,” says Amrutha V., a resident of Muthu street in Royapettah.  

There were other residents who took care of the stray dogs in their locality. Pravin Ravi S., a resident of Korattur, offered the stray dogs shelter in the compound. “My family takes care of strays even on normal days. When it rained continuously on Thursday, we found four strays standing miserably. We brought them into our compound. 

We gave them food and they left on their own Friday morning. Even during the 2015 floods, the strays were badly affected.” Many other residents checked on one another, and offered to buy senior citizens and working professionals, emergency essentials such as bread, candles and some fruits and vegetables.