A tree uprooted at the IIT Madras campus. Photo: Manoj ParameswaranChennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), a prestigious institution situated in the heart of Chennai, is seeing the worst of Vardah, a cyclonic storm that made its landfall near the Tamil Nadu capital Monday evening.
Trees were uprooted across the campus which is known for its greenery even though it is situated in the center of Chennai.
“The situation is really bad, worse than the floods that hit Chennai last year. There is widespread damage across the campus. The entire campus is in a lock-down stage,” Manoj Parameswaran, a Ph.D scholar at the institute, said.
Manoj, who hails from Thrissur, told Onmanorama that he had a narrow escape twice when trees fell in the campus from the heavy rains and winds.
A great number of Keralites are studying and working in IIT Madras campus, which is spread over a lavish 617.8 acres.
Photo: Manoj Parameswaran“The situation is okay now. The first effects of cyclone started showing up from early morning itself with high wind and drizzle. The situation intensified between 1 and 2 pm. There was heavy downpour and wind. Trees were falling all around us. The weather was intense and it was quite scary,” said Unnikrishnan, another Keralite, who is doing his Unnikrishnan R, MS Mechanical Engineering, in the institute.
“Despite all this, the IIT-M management did a commendable job by ensuring that food was provided to all students through messes and other eateries,” he added. Unnikrishnan is a native of Thiruvananthapuram.
Manoj also had a sweet story to share with Onmanorama even amid the chaos. He managed to rescue four puppies from the rains and gave them a shelter in his room in the campus.
The puppies in Manoj's room. Photo: Manoj Parameswaran