Vardah leaves Chennai bent but not broken

Chopping uprooted trees to clear roads, diverting traffic on blocked roads, pushing stalled vehicles… Chennai residents’ were out in numbers even as heavy wind and rains lashed the city in the wake of cyclonic storm Vardah.

As they did during the floods last December, the residents volunteered all over the city — diverting vehicles, helping push stalled ones to the side. The more adventurous ones were out clicking selfies on the beach.

Trees, electric poles, streetandlights were uprooted by the 100-kmph winds.

Sheet metal banners fluttered like paper in the wind, the metal facade of a five-star hotel in Anna Salai was stripped by the winds, laying bare the underlying frames.

Most roads and a number of bridges were blocked with trees uprooted and lying along the carriage way. Youngsters and the public stepped in, braving the lashing rains, to lend a helping hand.

At the congested North Chennai, Royapuram area, a resident was blown off the rooftop while trying to tie down some sheets. While the police and rescue personnel could not find their way through the congested tenements initially, it was the residents in the area who scrambled up the stairs and rooftops to locate the victim.

He was carried down the narrow stairs to a waiting stretcher and wheeled to an ambulance.

Elsewhere on the roads, scores of people armed with sickles and saws chopped branches of fallen trees to clear the way for traffic.

For some, life did go on — thrill seekers on motorcycles zipped down the empty roads. At an open ATM in North Chennai, there was a long queue of people braving the rains to draw cash. Demonetisation and the short supply of cash gained priority over even the threat of Vardah!

Chennai came to a standstill as public transport was down, cabs and autorickshaws did not ply, the airport was shut down and trains were halted a safe distance from the city.

The State government had announced a holiday for the schools and colleges on Monday, and suggested that private companies also shut down for the day. But a number of office goers were stranded in the afternoon without transport services.

Traffic was sparse on the roads and there was little help for commuters who made do asking for lifts from the few vehicles passing by.

According to a Southern Railway bulletin, the wind and continuous rain had severely damaged platform structures, overhead electrical lines and obstructed tracks.

Suburban train services in the Chennai Division were halted after 11.15 am.

As a result of disruption of overhead electrical lines, 16 trains have been held up in Jolarpettai, on the Chennai Central section, and four trains in Villupuram, on the Chennai Egmore secton.

According to the Airports Authority of India, 67 flights were impacted due to the severe weather conditions. The Chennai Airport was also shutdown from 9 am.