Hyderabad/Chennai (Reuters) - After cyclone Michaung plowed into the southern coast of India on Wednesday, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rain that uprooted trees and damaged roads, rescuers utilized boats to reach people who were stuck in their homes amid widespread flooding in Chennai, India.
Thirteen people are thought to have perished in the flooding caused by the heavy rains that preceded the cyclone, which made landfall in the state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon. The majority of the victims were in Tamil Nadu, a major center for manufacturing.
Rescuers in Chennai, a city of over 6 million people and a significant center for the manufacture of automobiles and technology, pulled people from their homes using inflatable rafts and ropes.
Images of submerged cars and rescue personnel wading through waist-deep water were featured in the local media. Food rations were also dropped by air force helicopters to individuals who were stuck in flooded homes.
Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan of the Greater Chennai Corporation stated, "There are pockets of low lying areas." "We to hope clear it soon."
Rain on Monday forced Taiwan's Foxconn and Pegatron to stop producing Apple iPhones at their plants close to Chennai, sources told Reuters. On Tuesday, Foxconn started operating again.
Large waves smashed into the coast of Andhra Pradesh, which took the brunt of the cyclone's damage, uprooting trees and damaging roads.
The extensive damage caused by floods eight years ago, which claimed the lives of about 290 people, was brought to mind by the floods that occurred in Chennai this week.
There are residents who doubt the infrastructure of the city can withstand severe weather. State Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting payment for the damages in the amount of 50.6 billion rupees, or $607.01 million.
According to geo-analytics specialist and civil engineer Raj Bhagat P, the city's improved stormwater drainage systems would not have been able to stop the flooding.
"This solution would have helped a lot in moderate and heavy rainfall, but not in very heavy and extremely heavy rains," he stated.
$1 is equal to 83.3600 Indian rupees.
You must be logged in to post a comment.