Corporation man drowned trying to save aged mom, disabled sister

CHENNAI: In a cruel irony, a Chennai Corporation employee who helped save many marooned families by passing on distress calls while manning a helpline failed to get help at the most crucial moment - when the swollen Adyar river ravaged his Nandambakkam house on December 2.
Police found the bodies of Venkatesan Krishnan, a 38-year-old health department employee, his mother Sushila K, 62, and his differently-abled sister Vijayalakshmi, 38, on December 3.The three, according to neighbours, refused to vacate their ground floor house in IDPL Colony despite warnings.
A few people in the colony said Venkatesan, a bachelor, did not expect water would enter the house. He was also worried that his aged mother and his sister would be unable to walk in case they had to vacate the house.
When he realized the danger, he seemed to have tried helpline numbers for a boat but none came. He also called two of his colleagues. "I was sleeping when he called at 1am. But when I tried to call him back the next day, his phone was switched off. Later, I came to know they were dead," said Rajendran, a colleague.
There is no one left in the family - Venkatesan's father, an ex-serviceman, died a few years ago.
A regular contributor to the Times of India, Venkatesan highlighted the poor amenities in Nandambakkam and spoke on issues of national importance, in Citizen Connect and Speakout, columns meant for readers.
Venkatesan's childhood friend N Rajesh said water had reached waist level on the first floor. "Many residents climbed to the terrace but Venkatesan might have found it difficult to take his sister and mother there," he said.
In 1985, when IDPL Colony was inundated, Venkatesan's family members put chairs on their bed and saved themselves. "This time, I warned him after release of water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir but he might have thought they could stay inside like in 1985," said Rajesh, wiping away tears.
When TOI visited the colony on Thursday, his neighbour C Jayalakshmi, pointing to the house, said: "There is nobody left ... They were nice people and nobody expected their lives would end like this." Most families in the colony were moved to safer places in boats.
City health officer (in-charge) Dr N A Senthilnathan said Venkatesan, who joined the corporation in March 2014, was hard-working. "It was a tragedy we never expected." Corporation staff pasted posters containing his photograph across Ripon Buildings.
Read this story in Tamil: வெள்ளத்திற்கு தாய், சகோதரியுடன் பலியான சென்னை கார்பரேஷன் ஊழியர்