Death Toll Rising

While the nation was busy debating over the subjects far less important, victims of Chennai floods died. 400 are dead so far and the toll is still rising as the rescue teams search the ruins for any survivors. And now that we HAVE survivors, credit can only be given to the defense services, NDRF and RSS, which were probably the first to reach the city to help. Only if all of this happened sooner, this tragedy could’ve been avoided to a large extent. But as we all know how things work in our nation, the help only reached the needy when the situation got out of hand. In a developing country like ours, forces that are capable enough to tackle such disasters should be one of the main priorities that need to be enhanced.

Piles of Garbage

As the nation is trying to stand by the notion of ‘Swachh Bharat’, an initiative put forward by our honorable PM Mr. Narendra Modi, this tragedy messed up the beautiful city of Chennai even more. Heaps of garbage can be spotted in every nook and corner of the city. Rodents, snakes and insects are almost everywhere and piles of sewage waste have accumulated in the houses. Not only the heaps are polluting the environment, they are also paving ways for new diseases to spread across the area.  After analyzing the situation of the city, health experts suggest that it could be a probable site for an epidemic if  necessary measures aren’t taken on time to clean the mess.

‘Burglars’ – The New Problem

Just when the flood victims thought that the situation can’t get any worse, they came across another major problem to deal with. Burglars have found a way to add to the plight of the victims- stealing all they have left. Since the houses and industries are vacant and the police and defense forces are busy saving the city, there is actually no one to stop the burglars from stealing all they can. Now, the victims not only have to cope up with their personal and property losses but also safeguard what is left of them!

Not so ‘Connected’ Chennai

There are many problems faced by the victims of Chennai that need to be resolved soon. Power outage is one of them. No TV, internet and call connectivity for the people made it more difficult for them to get help. Even the roads are highly damaged and weak network signals continue to pose another major problem. Even after all that, when the people are actually coming out of their homes, long queues at petrol pumps and ATMs add to their never ending problems.

Water Supply Issues

Supply of drinking water in most of the areas of Chennai is still a hurdle that needs to be overcome. Authorities fear that most the groundwater in the city is contaminated, and if consumed, may pose health problems to the people. Only a limited amount of water is made available for the people to drink. Infact, there are certain areas where certain basic supplies aren’t available yet. Electricity shortage, lack of milk and food supplies still remain a major concern in the city.

[Image Attribute: McKay Savage]