Here we go again... CHENNAI FLOODS

Good Morning India....

2008 - I was in Chennai during December 2008 en route to Singapore. More or less similar conditions were existing at that time in Chennai. Heavy rains had shut down all roads, public transport and every thing. I managed to secure the services of a 3 wheeler to get to the Airport to catch my flight due to depart at 1.30 PM. I started out at 8 AM in the morning thinking that this was enough time to reach the airport and check in. Three wheeler up to a point, then a kilometer walk through knee deep water carrying my suitcase on my head and my camera gear on my back. Then a 4 km boat ride courtesy Madras Sappers boat assault Mk 3 , and finally a ride in a 3 ton truck again of the Madras Sappers to the airport. Just managed to reach the check in counter before it closed.

Chennai frequently experiences flooding due to heavy rain associated with depressions & cyclones. Of which a few serious and catastrophic floods during 1943,1976, 1985, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2010 caused heavy damages. Chennai is not starving for rain; it is starving for water which is due to mismanagement of water storage. In 2010, Chennai received about 760mm rainfall  during October – December period. Recent highest rainfall in a day was 423 mm on 27.10.2005. This year 2015 appears to be heading for the highest rainfall in Chennai in the last 100 years. The 2015 flood pictures, the latest, show that Chennai is not prepared to drain these flash flood waters causing periodic hindrances in day to day life. Closing of schools due to flooding every year is common in many parts of Chennai. Since this is a frequent and dangerous problem year on year why effective Flood Disaster Management is yet not in place even given today's advance technology and resources??

2015 - Not a sign of a single Babu or his rescue machinery anywhere. Though History repeats itself here in Chennai, who is to learn lessons and sweat in peaceful times to prepare for these war like rain and flood conditions? No Sir not the Babus they are busy amassing wealth and skinning the exchequer!!! Only SEEN are the Combat dresses of Army Sappers and 2 Infantry battalions deployed and the OG and Sand Painted vehicles of the Army and occasional Choppers of the Army aviation or the IAF on rescue duty.

Does not the Nation need to re-evaluate the need of a defunct Civil Administration, which fails at the first instance!!! And does not learn lessons to boot? They call them selves the exalted INDIAN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES? CANNOT EVEN ADMINISTER EFFICIENTLY A SINGLE TOWN? THAT TOO AFTER MORE THAN 65 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE? About the slimy corrupt politicians the less said the better.

Should the Services of the Armed forces be sought for, without any responsibility of the bureaucracy, for the failure in providing basic amenities after almost seven decades of their poor Planning & Management, which is the real burden on the Exchequer!!!
The nation must ask some tough Questions!!!

The Armed Forces seem to be the First and the Last resort to any disaster ..... man made or natural!!!! If their is a nuclear disaster God help this Nation!!!
And the icing on the cake: when it comes to pay commissions the babus feel insulted when the pay scales of the IPS, The IFoS and IRS etc are brought at par with them. They write and represent to the pay commission that we are superior beings by virtue of their being in the upper part of the UPSC merit list, with respect to the other services. They forget, that people learn with experience and grow. Albert Einstein was always at the bottom of his class. As for the Armed Forces for them, For them Army people "Army? what Army?"They manipulate these CPC's and the GOI, to trample into the ground Finance as well as the Honor and respect of Soldiers of the Armed Forces. The shameless, corrupt and uncouth babus of this country. Mera Bharat Mahan........