More than 48 hours after Cyclone Michaung ravaged Chennai and its suburbs, several neighbourhoods across the city remain water-logged and without power. Posh residential societies and communities between the East Coast Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai are reeling under several feet of water as most residents have been rescued to safety by social workers who have coordinated with local fishermen besides Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, army, navy and coast guard personnel.
While there was a lot of sympathy and empathy for the state government during the 2015 floods that were totally unprecedented, the public have been venting out their ire this time during the 2023 floods as there has been a visible lack of engagement by local politicians. While the usual ministers brigade from the DMK comprising of Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Udayanidhi Stalin, health minister Ma Subramaniam and HR and CE Minister Sekar Babu have been actively engaged in the field besides Chief Minister MK Stalin, most other leaders were conspicuously absent, especially, the lower-level leaders in the western suburbs of the city such as Maduravoyal, Thiruverkadu, Poonamallee etc. Local residents lamented that their ward members haven’t even bothered to visit them and offer food and other relief packets unlike in 2015 when they were taken up on a war footing during the floods back then.
Some of the celebrities who got stranded due to water stagnation including top Bollywood star Aamir Khan, Vishnu Vishal among others. Even actor Vishal’s post on being without power in Anna Nagar for almost two days had gone viral on social media as public criticised the state government for being complacent with their relief efforts.
Venting out her ire on social media, actor-politician Khusbhu Sundar questioned where Rs. 4000 crore that was claimed to have been spent on storm water drains had gone. “DMK saying they have spent 4000crs on Chennai water stagnation plan is a farce. Out of 4000crs, by looking at the state of affairs in the city we all know how much was spent. Chennai is floating. Newly laid roads have caved in. People were stuck on the roads. City is engulfed in darkness…” she vented.
Local good Samaritan groups that networked so well during the 2015 floods also appeared somewhat complacent this year. While whatsapp groups were abuzz with demands for food, shelter and other essentials for stranded residents, not many such groups stepped up until after a day when their pleas began to flood social media groups. Public ire has been amplified this year as the state government had publicly announced that storm water drain construction has been completed in several areas at a huge cost and there would be no flooding. However, the unprecedented rainfall has taken everyone by surprise including the corporation engineers. But what has been most visible and irksome is the almost complete absence of lower-level leaders of the DMK in relief and rescue activities.
While Chief Minister MK Stalin has sought at least Rs. 5060 crore from the central government as a relief package for the flood victims in a letter written to Prime Minister Modi, many in the city have been left wondering what happened to the organising skills of the DMK in ensuring relief reached those who were suffering, especially at the ward level.