Chennai Flooding......not again!!

Its that time of the year, the North Eastern monsoon is hitting the southern part of the country. Hitting it hard, soaking it completely. Rain is very important in this part of the country, forming a good percentage of water supply for Tamil Nadu, for agricultural and domestic purposes.

All thats fine, but are we managing the rains efficiently? I mean the state has witnessed terrible droughts in the past. Are we utilising every drop of water we get proplerly? Rain water harvesting measures are fine but are we regularly maintaining it? I dont think most of us are.

I like rain, getting drenched in it, having fun, but now being a Chennaite i am not too sure. Just getting out of my house is a struggle. Not that i am afraid of getting wet in the rain, it s just that i dont want to step into the puddles, which is actually a understatment of the craters, with water from who knows where...yuckkk. I am literally land locked in my house with ankle deep water in the roads, for now that is, and the way it is going, it could get much worse. Driving out of this place is not an easy task too. Especially if on a two-wheeler, one will be lucky to keep the engine running. People in cars have a tough time too. Even a one mile drive turns into an adventue safari, with the only visible animal being the irritated, frustrated and mad motorists.

I think all this water can be put to good use, unfortunately enough efforts just not have been taken. Its just the local residents who are trying to do their bit to redress the issue, while the policy makers remain mere spectators. Maybe someone neeeds to tell them that the city roads are bad, have a very bad (also read as lack of) storm water drainage system, peoples houses are or will be flooded and diseases will spread (which was bad enough before the rains too). Yeah right, as if the they dont know or expect this to happen. I know rains are unpredictable but the situation one each faces every year does not need a genius to find out.

Anyway people have very bad memories and as soon as the rains stop they will all go into a state of mass selective amnesia, helped by the so called relief aid, for which they will fight and kill each other. Thats what the politicians cash in on. I mean it is so easy to make suckers of these people, who dont realise that instead of demanding individual aid they might as well pressure the authorities to provide better infrastructure. Which is possible through better roads, good drainage system, sanitary conditions and water treatment facilities to prevent any outbreaks of disease, identifying low lying areas and take appropriate measures, and so on. Its not possible to do all this overnight but at least there should be some signs of taking an effort.

Well, i hope we receive only that much rain which we need and most importantly, that which we can handle and not more than that......but whatever you hope for please dont blame the rains for any of the problems that you may face.

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