December 4th, 2023- Michaung

 

December 4th, 2023- Michaung

The Forecast

4.12.2023 has become yet another day to be remembered by every Chennaiites. Before the 4th of December, there was news of rain and storms every day, but it was manageable, and life was as normal as any other day, with some inconveniences here and there. On the 3rd of December, the government ordered a complete shutdown on 4.12.2023, anticipating heavy rains and cyclonic movement. As forecasted by the weather department, we were able to feel powerful winds from 3rd night and heavy rains on 4th early morning.

Flooding roads and flooding messages

When we woke up in a holiday mood, we saw a black sky and a heavy downpour on the 4th and started witnessing water logging in our handsets that were forwarded in the WhatsApp group; some were worried seeing the videos because they were thinking about their friends and relatives in such areas, whereas some were politicising to find fault with the ruling government. Both criticism and empathy were being shared. However, it was moderated by noble souls who said it was time to be uncritical and humane.

Power cut and Network down

While the city was choked with water, our WhatsApp groups were choked with verified and unverified messages; slowly, after 11 A.M, the messages were reduced, and we witnessed power shut down, and very slowly, we were disconnected from the world till midnight. Now and then, we started staring at our mobile, and all we saw was no signal scroll. I am unsure whether we were worried about floods, but few would have worried about how they would spend their night without Facebook and Instagram.

Rest to food APPs

Some would have planned to order rainy snacks through their favourite apps, but neither roads allowed the delivery boys to zoom away, nor was the internet available to scroll the yummy food on the screen.

Rest to UPI Payment

India set a benchmark in several UPI transactions per second, but on the 4th of December, Chennai gave some rest to all payment apps. Some would have been battling the water entering the home; some would have happily emptied a few left-out pegs from their bottles.

Family Time

For students, it was an extended weekend; for officegoers, it was family time due to a lack of connectivity. As the day passed with heavy rains and dark skies, it wasn't easy to differentiate between day and night. When people were getting used to staying away from their mobiles, they slowly started moving closer with family members; for some, the 4th of December would have been a new experience of sharing a lighter moment with candle lights. However, it would have been one of the best times together.

The souls on the road

The above paragraphs were about people who were within the homes. Still, there is another side to what was happening outside. Yes, some souls were drenched in the rain to ensure the water drains, people were rescued, trees were cleared, roads were cleaned, power mobile signals were restored, patients were quickly moved to the hospitals and many more people who relentlessly worked so that Chennai comes back to shape. While they were busy in their service, their family members would have prayed for their safety and kept their fingers crossed for them to return home safely.

Hungry stomach and serving heart.

Like the rest of the cities, Chennai also has platform dwellers, beggars and homeless people; some service-oriented, kind-hearted people would have moved around to fill their stomachs wholeheartedly.

Animals and care takers

While we talk about human beings, there were incidents where crocodiles mistook the flowing water as a river and started swimming on the roads. The animals in the zoo were waiting for their meal, and some caretakers ensured a dinner was served to those animals. Still, stray dogs and cats would have had a tough day. Some strong trees withstood the wind, and the rest would have rested in peace as a wooden log or burnt to keep the people warm.

ThirTy hours of rain and winds

Thirty hours of rain and winds is challenging to manage; it requires a strong mind and body to withstand. Only some people would have been on the ground to serve, but still, we are responsible for sharing helpline numbers rather than criticising the governments. Every time we start forwarding unverified videos or images, we are not only mocking the government, we are pressing the panic button; the strong and the rational minds can handle such messages without panic, but the weak will become weaker, thinking about the people whom they know in such areas.

Mobile can be a Tool or a weapon.

Nature has its plans, which we cannot stop, but we can stop forwarding content those are unverified & that creates panic. The mobile in the hand can be a tool or a weapon, depending on how we use it.

While rainwater drains, let the panic drain and peace is restored.

Bye-bye, Michaung; we are sure you would have had a tough time in Tamil Nadu; now Andhra is waiting with their spicy thoughts and colourful films.

M.L. Narendra Kumar