Even as the incessant downpour in Chennai abates, the water level in many residential areas has been steadily increasing. Reports say this is due to excess water being released from the dam at Chembarambakkam. Residents say they were not warned and the water level has been increasing every hour in places like Mylapur, one of the posh areas of Chennai. There is no power, no internet, no food, no water. And hope for a quick rescue is dying out as well.

As the state electricity board had suspended power as a precautionary measure, most of the residents of the city and its neighbourhoods, who had stocked on milk and vegetables were unable to preserve them for long.

Large queues were seen in places where milk was being sold while the famous Koyambedu vegetable market was cut off from the city, leading to the spiralling vegetable prices.

The price of mineral water also hit the roof with a 20 litre bottle normally available for Rs 30 being sold for Rs 150 per bottle.

Most of the supermarkets and hotels across the city were either shut or had run out of stocks.


Photo: People pick their way through Sardar Patel Road in Chennai. Pic: Sreeram Selvaraj