December 2, 2015
Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is battling its worst rains in a century. Over the last month, the capital city has been transformed from a bustling hub of over 4.5 million people to a partly submerged wreck.
December 2, 2015
Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is battling its worst rains in a century. Over the last month, the capital city has been transformed from a bustling hub of over 4.5 million people to a partly submerged wreck.
Already 188 people have died in Tamil Nadu due to rain-related incidents, and thousands have been forced to evacuate from their homes. “State police, fire and rescue services, state and national disaster response forces and coast guard are ready to rescue people using boats,” Tamil Nadu chief minister, J.Jayalalithaa, said yesterday (Dec. 1). “Adequate precautionary measures are being taken to protect people.”
But as the government flounders, ordinary citizens are coming together on social media to either send or seek help. The online effort is similar to what happened in March 2015, when the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir was hit by massive floods. People who wanted help, or could help, used #KashmirFloods to connect on Twitter and Facebook.
Since yesterday, #ChennaiRainsHelp and #ChennaiFloods have become among the most used hashtags on Twitter in India, utilised to offer shelter, food, transport, and even mobile recharges.
Courtesy: Quartz
