Principal news photographer of The Hindu, N. Rajesh (56) in Thoothukudi has covered many natural calamities and violent protests over the last decade. But little did he think that he would be in a perilous situation when water entered his house in Pasumpon Nagar near P and T Colony after torrential rains pounded the district on Sunday (December 17, 2923) night.
Fortunately, Mr. Rajesh’s wife and twin daughters, aged five, had gone safely to her parent’s house in nearby Millerpuram on Sunday morning. Mr Rajesh however, had remained at his house, built three years ago, even as rains continued in the district and power supply was cut off by 9 p.m.
At around 12.30 a.m. on Monday, he received a flurry of phone calls from his neighbours about water levels rising in the locality. Mr. Rajesh then realised that ankle-deep water had entered his house. He immediately started to ensure that all important items in the house were placed at higher levels. He collected his camera bag, one set of clothes and an umbrella and quickly climbed up the stairs to reach the terrace amidst the rain. However, he was not alone on the terrace in the newly-formed residential area. Many other residents of the neighbourhood, which has around 60 families, were already at their respective house terraces holding umbrellas for cover.
