It was around 11.44 a.m. on Wednesday and the control room set up by Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa was flooded with calls and messages from WhatsApp and social media from people seeking to be rescued from their homes and streets, which were flooded due to cyclone Michaung-induced rain.
As soon as a call or a message landed, it was immediately logged into an excel sheet and volunteer teams started reaching out to their counterparts and officials on the ground in various zones. A live screen displayed details on areas in need of attention, locations facing power cuts and places where rescue boats were stationed. Since there were disruptions in mobile and internet connectivity across the city, a back-end team was providing support from Madurai.
The teams were quickly acting upon requests that came from other volunteer groups. Until Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Rajaa’s team attended to over 5,600 calls/requests and helped over 30,000 people across the city. “We just helped a pregnant lady reach the hospital. We are getting calls from people in flooded areas and we are ensuring that they are being rescued..,” the Minister said.
The teams received calls from Velachery, Pallikaranai, Madipakkam, Perungudi, MGR Nagar, R.K. Nagar, and Royapuram, among others. The Minister was also personally responding to those who were seeking support.
