A day in Cherrapunji
Posted on October 28th, 2005 by Vijay Krishna Narayanan
Is this Chennai? A city which rejoices if there is cloud cover for 40 minutes was lashed, battered (and at places, bruised) by 40 hours of non-stop torrential downpour. Yes, 40 hours! Of those I know, only Soumyadip should have experienced such rainfall.Now that the rains have stopped for almost a day, Chennai starts limping back to normal. Some places have been hit badly, but the water has already started receding from many parts.
One really appreciable thing in all this is the swiftness of the city’s police force and also the Corporation. I’ve heard quite a few tales of how the police helped stranded citizens by offering a lift across short distances, and sometimes even to their houses!
Also, the Corporation has swung into action and is trying to mend damaged roads. I myself came across more than a dozen such instances, where Corporation workers were filling up potholes and craters with stones, which would then be flattened by a roadroller. I wonder why our roads are so vulnerable. Why resort to such stopgap fixes, instead of doing it right first time?
Jaggy has put up this excellent photo-feature on his blog.
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Filed under: Chennai
One can enjoy such torrential downpour only in the hills. But ‘enjoy’ isn’t the appropriate term to use here, it should rather be - tolerate. Up there you don’t have to worry about wading through rivulets which till the other day were metalled roads. It is only when I’m in the rain-starved lands elsewhere in India that I miss the rains back home. My nightmare now is that after Bombay, Bangalore and Chennai it could be Delhi’s turn the next monsoon.
You’re right. Roads should be laid once, and thence must be maintained at a minimum cost. What’s happening to Old Mahabalipuram Road is a disgrace.
I agree. OMR is a poor excuse for a road
Oh frabjous joY
http://rokk.is/mp3/k/kosijama_one_day_in_cherrapunji.mp3
a song me and my friens made few years ago