In Chennai Floods, Middle Class Among The Hardest Hit

Chennai: For many residents of flood-ravaged Chennai like Venkatesh Bethi, the clothes they are wearing are all they have left.

The Venkatesh family was hit by floods twice in two weeks. When the deluge struck a second time they were forced to abandon their home at Kannan Avenue, near Mudichur one of the worst affected areas of the city.

When they returned a week later, they found everything the television, fridge, washing machine, furniture, clothes and even mattresses unusable.

For a middle class family like theirs, it is a setback that will take a long time to recover from, they say.

A devastated Venkatesh Bethi said, "The second time it submerged our house. With no belongings, we are literally on the road."
 The poor who lost their huts will get a new home and ten thousand rupees as relief and those whose homes have been damaged will get five thousand rupees.

But for the middle class, the Tamil Nadu government has not announced any financial help yet. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has asked the Centre to give them easy loans of up to Rs 5 lakhs.

Many of the affected people are angry. A flood-affected resident who also lost their belongings said, "Even for cleaning the house workers ask Rs 3,000. The Rs 5,000 they offer will be enough for that only. Let the politicians come see."

Venkatesh's wife Subha, an IT professional, said, "I know it may not be possible to compensate all our losses. At least to a certain extent if they could extend support for us also it would be of great help."

Not used to asking or receiving government hand-outs, most middle class families are suffering in silence. But in a testament to the kind of damage wreaked, for perhaps the first time, even they are expecting help to rebuild their lives.