Marooned in Madras

The highest rainfall in 100 years has made life extremely difficult for people living in Madras. However, the Zoroastrians residing there are safe and coping with the weeks of excessive rain battering the city. Though the north-east monsoon does bring rain to Tamil Nadu at this time of the year, this season it has brought the entire city to a standstill. There has been no electricity for days, landline phones are dead and mobiles cannot be charged. Provisions and essentials are being sold at a premium. The citizens of Madras have rallied to work and help each other, forgetting artificial distinctions of class, creed and religion.
"It has been really grim,” states Zarin Mistry, secretary of the Madras Parsi Association (MPA), though "on the whole we have fared well.” The Parsi population of Madras stands at approximately 220. The MPA will be donating money where it is most needed. A message from Madras Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman president Darius Bahadurji states the community is coping well with the situation but others are badly affected.
The 50-year-old Sarala’s Art Centre on Cenotaph Road, founded by Soli Daruwala and now owned by his daughter Sarala and her husband Biswaji Banerjee, is still operational although the four storey building where the Gallery is situated was in chest high water. They managed to move many pieces of art from the ground and first floors where the gallery is situated to the higher two floors where they stay. "There is damage to some of our art, sculpture and paintings and it will take us at least 15 days to clear the mess,” said Sarala who has not lost her sense of humor and adds, "I am considering closing my swimming pool membership since I have a swimming pool here.”

Above photo: Murad Shahuna

Sheriyar Unwalla made a road trip with his wife and his children to Bangalore and returned with a car full of supplies, Mistry mentions. He is delivering the items to different relief camps and also helping evacuate people of all communities in Madras. He is doing this on his own initiative as well as through his cycling group. Mistry says, "There are many individuals struggling as they are unable to go out much unless they have SUVs. Most hotels are full of people who have left their homes in low lying areas. Also there is no electricity for two or three days at a time. Most vegetables cost around Rs 190 a kilo.” Zarin and her husband Cawas are doing the best they can in the circumstances.
"It is the low lying areas and suburbs which are most affected by the rain. There is a shortage of provisions; restaurants and tea shops are not open. Fuel and bottled water is in short supply. It is like an endless bandh. During a natural calamity, Amazon and Big Basket cannot function so we just have to deal with things,” states Jersheen Madan who further adds, "Though Chennai has an inherent attribute that makes one feel safe and secure, the recent floods demonstrated our resilience, humanitarianism and vulnerability to survive a natural disaster. I am sure the economic recovery from the extensive damage caused by the floods will be quicker than the psychological and medical woes we will have to overcome.”
Zavera Shahuna, her husband Kersi, son Murad and daughter- in-law Sheila are all safe; her daughter’s family lives in Bangalore. Zavera says, "We are safe and secure in our complex Adora (Akshaya Homes on Old Mahabalipuram Road). Though the surrounding areas are flooded, help is at hand everywhere, thanks to the grace of the Almighty. I am proud to be a Madrasite.”
The Royapuram area was relatively free of waterlogging and flooding and they were lucky to escape the major problems in other areas, says Mahiar Shroff whose wife Zavera is the manager of the Madras Dharamshala. He explains that water was released from many lakes so that dams do not breach, causing some low lying areas to become flooded. As the Dharamshala is very well constructed, those living in it are not affected, he reveals. The main road, which was resurfaced for the investors’ meet in Madras just a month-and-a-half ago, has withstood the excessive rains well. However, a trip to the airport to see off his daughter Delshad took him all of eight hours due to inundated roads. She missed her flight to Abu Dhabi and had to buy another ticket!
Ervad Bomanshah Vazifdar, panthaky of the Jal Phiroj Clubwala Dar-e-Meher on West Mada Street in Royapuram states the Dar-e-Meher is functional. "The prices of onions, tomatoes and all vegetables have sky-rocketed and milk is being sold at Rs 120 per packet,” reveals his wife Niloofer. Bomanshah says that their bore well is working and so they are not facing a shortage of clean water, as is the case in other areas. "There is power here, as of now. Schools and colleges, banks and offices are all shut and ATM machines are empty,” he adds.
Perviz Bhote, who owns an apartment in Indra Nagar, Adyar, is now in Secunderabad but her sister-in-law Navaz Bhote’s home is not as badly affected as those of many others. Parts of Nungambakkam were flooded up to waist level with water stagnating in the compound. Perviz’s apartment is at a higher level and not too close to the river. But her sister-in-law and friends in Madras have informed her that essentials are not available or when available are extremely expensive. She elaborates, "A lot of water was let out of Chembrambakkam lake reservoir into the Adyar River. The Vodafone tower was not working but Airtel mobiles were functioning. There was no electricity for two days and mobile phones could not be charged.” Perviz who was to attend her late husband Dara’s Merchant Navy Reunion on December 11 in Madras was not inclined to celebrate with so many suffering.
Ness and Perin Pesikaka’s compound is waterlogged, while Heera Billimoria is housebound with electricity outage problems for hours at a time. Jhambax and Patricia Amrolia could be contacted by well-wishers only after two days. Dinawaz and Hormaz Belgamvala of Ethiraj Salai, Egmore say that their driveway is flooded but the roads nearby are functional. They are helping their elderly neighbors by fetching for them replacements of bread, eggs and milk — all which are in short supply.
"By God’s grace our understanding is that most, if not all the community here is safe and well. We will be glad to provide any and all support to members of our community,” communicated Darius and Kaety Dalal of Harrington Road, Chetpet via email.
Since many telephones are not working, residents of Madras try to keep track of others as best they can. Roshan Gandhi, originally from Jamshedpur, who works for Hyundai at Sriperumbudur, was shifted by her company to a safer place on higher ground. Farouk and Sherna Irani decided to move to the Madras Club as their home is in a flood prone locality.
With foresight, the Parsis of yesteryears ensured that the Dar-e-Meher, Dharamshala and Parsi buildings were built on high ground to keep them safe from waterlogging even when the rest of Madras is under water.