The title above was posted to the residents WhatsApp group where I live. While it is funny, it is also true. Until recently the area has been experiencing a water shortage, but now the monsoon has hit and again has brought major flooding to Chennai. I live on the very west side of Chennai and haven’t been affected by the flooding, but D. Paul has asked me not to go into Chennai. As you can see from the link above the situation is rather bad in places. Here are some additional photos posted by someone from the resident’s group with a video I took from Nov 1.
This past Weds (Nov 1) I did go into Chennai to get some Bibles, in particular some Telugu New Testaments and one English from some new believers. We had to make several stops and calls before I found someplace that had the Telugu New Testaments. After talking to them on the phone, we pulled up and the whole block was without power. I doubted they could sell me anything without lights (as it was dark by that time). As we were debating what to do, the electricity was restored and I was able to get the New Testaments. Praise the Lord!
The flooding have resulted in several deaths. Two 8 year old girls were electrocuted when they stopped in a water containing a live power line. And storm drains are overflowing and mixing with sewage in many areas, creating unsafe conditions.
After the flood that devastated Chennai in Dec 2015, the city was supposedly prepared such rain, but residents are questing what has been does, as it doesn’t seem they have done enough.
I don’t expect the rains and flooding to impact me much. The complex where I live, while next to a major lake, is on fairly high ground and has diesel power backups in case the main electricity fails. But pray for the many, many people here who are severely impacted by these flood waters. The state has already been struggling with an outbreak of dengue fever. These rains and fetid, unclean water will certainly not improve the situation!
Knee Update: I continue to have some knee pain, even with the pain medication. The doctor said I am developing some slight arthritis. This coming week I plan to go in for a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection into the knee (they take my blood and spinning and extract the plasma and inject it). It is a controversial treatment, whose results are not proven, but I pray it will help (or at least act as its own placebo).