Waist-deep trouble, but they brave all

CHENNAI: While the rest of the city limps back to normalcy after being heavily waterlogged, Mannar Chera Perumal Nagar near Nerkundrum remains marooned. Ever since the skies opened up on Friday, the little colony of 400 families abutting the Cooum in Maduravoyal has gone under waist-deep water, and in some places even more.However, braving the incessant rains, cold and mosquitoes, the hardy people of the colony did not let the rains dampen their spirits.Meena (37), a resident of this settlement, was woken up around 1.30 am on Saturday by flood waters that had entered her house. Water had reached up to the level of the bed on which she and her daughter were sleeping. She said, “Suddenly, I heard some strange sounds that woke me up. The water was reaching up to the bed and vessels were falling down and floating around. We started picking up things and putting them in the loft.”For these 400 families living in this low-lying area behind Thai Moogambigai Dental College, the battle will continue for the next 10 days before they feel dry earth again. This has been their plight every monsoon.While the houses with thatched roofs continue to remain submerged, in other parts, the water was waist-deep forcing residents to seek shelter elsewhere.“For the past two days, we are buying food from outside. Most of the families, who are daily wage labourers, have borrowed money on interest to tide over the crisis,” said Selvaraj, a resident. “Till now no political party representative or any good Samaritan has visited us. But on Monday morning, some well-wishers and local body members supplied us with food packets.”Mani (15), who is studying in Class 10, was found fishing with his friends in the waters. He said, “All my text and notebooks have been washed away by the water. I hope the school will give me fresh notes so that I can start studying again.” Mani had only one complaint: “The Mosquitoes are killing us in the night.”Anita (26), who has been living there for 15 years, said, “This is the worst situation in the last four years. Along with the rains, reservoirs have been opened. Since the rain hasn’t stopped, the water has not receded so far.”