Despite a day after the Michaung cyclone crossed Chennai to make a landfall on the Andhra coasts, several parts of Chennai continue to reel under severe crisis with inundated homes and streets, no electricity, and shortage of essential food items like milk.
Localities like Velachery, Tambaram, Mudichur, Pallikaranai, Mylapore, Anna Nagar, have been on the brink with little or no help from authorities.
A majority of the people noted that none of the helplines given by Chennai Corporation was working.
Left to fend for themselves with no signs of relief, people took to the streets to protest against the DMK government.
In Mylapore, resident took to the streets and protested as they complained of power supply not being restored and stagnant waters not being removed despite desperate cries for help.
மயிலாப்பூரில் சாலை மறியல். சில இடங்களில் தண்ணீர் அகற்றப்படவில்லை. சில இடங்களில் தண்ணீர் இல்லாவிட்டாலும் மரம் அகற்றப்படவில்லை, மின்சாரம் தரவில்லை என புகார். #Mylapore #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/PPODYwBdYN
— Arun Ramesh 🇮🇳 (@arun10venkat) December 6, 2023
As dusk fell on 6 December 2023, the residents of Mylapore protested by lighting fire torches as there were no signs of power being restored.
சென்னை மயிலாப்பூரில்
மழை நின்று 48 மணி நேரம் ஆகியும் மின்சாரம் வரததால் விடியா திமுக அரசை கண்டித்து தீப்பந்தம் ஏந்தி போராடி வரும் மக்கள் #WhatNonsense_is_this_DMK
pic.twitter.com/395pM6fPZ9— Govindraj Deenadayalan (@NameisKamal) December 6, 2023
Residents gheraoed in the Chetpet flyover condemning the DMK government and the Corporation for not taking any action to drain the stagnant rain water.
தேங்கிய மழை நீரை வெளியேற்ற எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்காத மாநகராட்சிக்கு எதிராகவும் தமிழக அரசை கண்டித்தும் சேத்துபட்டு மேம்பாலத்தில் போராட்டம் நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்#WhatNonsense_is_this_DMK #Michaungcyclone #ChennaiFloods2023 #chennaicyclone #ChennaiHelps #ChennaiRains #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/0MV4tbwH6l
— Savukku Media (@Savukkumedia) December 6, 2023
Essential items like milk supply too has taken a hit. Many shops and parlours had no choice but to turn away customers due to unavailability of state-owned Aavin milk. A visual from Sowcarpet area in Chennai shows people scrambling to get Aavin milk packets from a truck.
Chennai Floods Update
சௌகார்பேட்டையில் பாலுக்காக அலையும் மக்கள்#WhatNonsense_is_this_DMK #Michaungcyclone #ChennaiFlood #Pallikaranai #ChennaiFloods2023 #Tamilnadu #Velachery #Stalin #Thoraipakkam #Tambaram #chennaicyclone #ChennaiHelps #ChennaiRains #ChennaiRains2023 #tnrains pic.twitter.com/ioIc7WVWNo— Savukku Media (@Savukkumedia) December 6, 2023
Velachery remains the worst hit area with water level in some areas reaching unprecedented levels reaching up to 7 to 8 feet.
Floods affecting humans and animals alike. Video from Velachery. #ChennaiFloods #ChennaiRains2023 pic.twitter.com/1VKxqiL8L7
— Shilpa (@Shilpa1308) December 6, 2023
Murugu Nagar in Velachery – completely sinked for last 3 days. Mobile is back after 48hrs. All the Cars and Scooters are submerged.
Neck deep water in all our streets. No drinking water. No one even bothered check on us.@Hassan_tnpyc @chennaicorp @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin pic.twitter.com/Cs4faAd1QM
— Sivakumar Palaniappan (Leadership) (@sivaspeaks2) December 6, 2023
And this is what the Congress MLA elected from Velachery had to say.
“This is the maximum we can do. If the sea doesn’t take the water, what can we do?…such things are common during natural disasters,” says a gentleman who is the MLA of Velachery.
If you can’t get off the ivory tower, please don’t open your mouth and belittle people’s sufferings https://t.co/n7BNGSF24t
— Sivapriyan E.T.B | சிவப்பிரியன் ஏ.தி.ப (@sivaetb) December 6, 2023
Even posh areas of Chennai like Poes Garden remain deluged.
வீனஸ் காலனி, போயஸ் கார்டன், கஸ்தூரி எஸ்டேட், கஸ்தூரி ரங்கன் சாலை ஆகிய ஏரியாவின் தற்போதைய நிலைமை https://t.co/aThWcceh4D pic.twitter.com/Mwd9ycaOlk
— Savukku Media (@Savukkumedia) December 6, 2023
போயஸ் கார்டன் – ரஜினி வீட்டை சூழ்ந்த மழைவெள்ளம்!#ChennaiRains2023 #ChennaiHelps #ChennaiRains #tnrains #WhatNonsense_is_this_DMK #Michaungcyclone #ChennaiFlood #Pallikaranai #ChennaiFloods2023 #Tamilnadu #Velachery #Stalin #Thoraipakkam #vannarapettai #Tambaram #chennaicyclone pic.twitter.com/o7RAv4kXDm
— Savukku Media (@Savukkumedia) December 6, 2023
Many have questioned whether the ₹4000 crore of taxpayer’s money for building storm water drains has gone down the drain.
“Not 4000 Crores, if they had spent 1 crore from that 4000 Crore, things would’ve been better” – A resident of Velachery
— இந்தா வாயின்கோ – Take That (@indhavaainko) December 6, 2023
Anna Nagar which is a planned locality in the Chennai city, too saw stagnant waters with residents complaining about the DMK government’s apathy questioning where the ₹4000 crore money went if the city’s condition has only worsened from 2015.
4000 கோடி செலவு பண்ணிங்க…என்னாச்சு? கொந்தளித்த சென்னைவாசிகள்#WhatNonsense_is_this_DMK #மிதக்கும்_4000கோடி pic.twitter.com/FD0YOBWoki
— Gowri Sankar D (@GowriSankarD_) December 6, 2023
In many areas across Chennai, internet connections were down adding to the misery as people were unable to communicate for relief or send SOS. The mounting anger among Chennai’s residents spilled over to social media as mobile internet connectivity got restored.
The hashtag #WhatNonsense_Is_This_DMK is trending on social media with netizens lashing out at the DMK government.
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