In the November of 2015, during the annual cyclone season, a low pressure area consolidated into a depression and slowly intensified into a deep depression before crossing the coast of Tamil Nadu. This system brought over heavy rain to the coastal and north interior parts of the state. This heavy rainfall led to floods. The capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai was hit especially bad. Excess of five hundred deaths were reported and more than 18 lakh people were displaced.
I have been a resident of Chennai since 2008 and had never seen or experienced anything remotely close this. Huge parts of Chennai were flooded. Hospitals, subways, road and entire localities were submerged for better part of a week. There was a total blackout of both power and network connectivity. The vibrant city had come to a standstill. But as they say adversity brings people together, the whole city got together to help out the most severely affected.
Many formal and informal volunteer groups worked together along with authorities in rescuing people still trapped. Some groups provided food and shelter. For seven days till the water receded, I along with others arranged shelter, drinking water and food to all the needy. We also took preventive measures for disinfecting the flooded areas to prevent spread epidemic diseases. The Idea network was one of the first network services to be resumed. This made our work lot easier and helped us coordinate our efforts more efficiently. I distinctly remember sitting under open night sky along with those we had helped, eating idly. It was probably one of the tastiest food I had ever enjoyed.
In retrospect the humongous loss of life and property could have been significantly lessened if the city, both the government and people were more aware and prepared. Cooum River, Adyar River and Buckingham Canal, which serve as the main rain water drain for the city, had all seen encroachments. Furthermore these encroachments were built using concrete which very adversely affected the draining of water.
These circumstances showed me that bravery can be infectious and warmth can spread faster than violence. The resilience showed by the people in those nightmarish times was very heart warming and I am immensely proud to count myself one among them.
For the first time I could experience total strangers, bonding together for a common cause. They remain my friends till date. The experience thought me valuable lessons of disaster management and how to rise to the occasion in times of emergency.
The role of Aditya Birla Group in helping out the victims of Chennai Flood wasn’t just limited to Idea’s massive efforts to resume network connectivity at the earliest. The Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI), the life insurance arm of the Aditya Birla Financial Services Group, simplified the claims settlement process to provide immediate support to the families of the policyholders in Chennai. Idea Cellular contributed in the rehabilitation of educational institutions affected due to these floods with the help of local NGOs.
The Aditya Birla Group, being a giant conglomerate, it is, has impacted the lives of millions of people all around the world from all walks of lives. It gives immense pride as an Indian citizen to see its influence in so many different industries and sectors at a global scale.