Department Seminar

Department Seminar                                                                                                             07/01/2016

Chennai is at the Mercy of Chembarambaakkam Lake

We are living under the sky

Prof. T. Jayaraman on the December Floods in Chennai

Speaking on the December Chennai floods in the weekly seminar of the English Studies Department held on 7^th January, 2016, Prof. T. Jayaraman said we need to be reminded that we are living under the sky.  Humanism and the consequent human-centred thinking which began in the 16^th Century prompted the thought that we are the masters of everything that we survey. We really are not and it has amply been proved by the recent floods. South Chennai is at the mercy of Chembarambaakkam lake: the whole of it is sitting across the run off area of that lake.

River Adyaar is the drain of Chembarambaakkam. The drain is flanking the south of Chennai on its west and the north. Water overflowing the river bank is bound to flow through the city and the city is obstructing the water course. It is rather we who have trapped the water by closely built constructions.

Post flood the slush left behind in the roads, streets and houses and the refuse and damaged articles had to be cleared with the help of conservancy staff drawn from several parts of Tamil Nadu. We need to be frugal and also to do some rethinking of our life-style in order that it may conform to the inexorable fact that we are under the sky and are the earthlings. This we have to do if we are to survive the fast urbanization and the city is to survive development.

Life founded on the centrality of human beings went through its repudiation when when human beings in Chennai became desperate rival claimants for space with rodents, snakes and other creatures in their bid to save themselves.

About three decades back there was a proposal to construct something for tourists near the mouth of Adyaar. It was promptly opposed by a former Chief Minister who said that this water course should always be kept free and that Chennai could not afford any construction near its mouth. When water was released in December as an emergency measure the quantity released was beyond the normal carrying capacity of the drain.

Now planners have started thinking about the desirability of thickening urbanization. What we need is a radical change of thinking about our place on earth. That requires a relook at humanism.

Dr. Nirmal Selvamony spoke on the misery the people experienced and on the tragedy that some met with. Dr. K.V. Raghupathy proposed a vote of thanks.