Rescue and Relief during Chennai Floods of 2015 : Role of Social Media

Issues:

» To understand the role of social media in rescue operations.
» To evaluate the effectiveness of social media and its positive impact on rescue and relief operations.

Introduction

On December 3, 2015, The Hindu quoted “For the last two days there has been a force in Chennai more powerful than the rains pounding the City - Social media.” The article also stated “While bridges collapsed, floodgates opened and people were confined to their homes, citizens came together on social media – Twitter and Facebook to coordinate efforts to send or seek help with accommodation, food and rescue relief.” Help poured in through social media when India’s fourth largest city, Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu was hit by devastating floods and rains from November 16, 2015, till mid December 2015. On December 1 and 2, 2015, Chennai received more rainfall in 24 hours than it had seen on any day ever since 1901. The storm followed a month of constant monsoon rains that were already well above normal for Tamil Nadu. According to an estimate by the government, 269 people lost their lives, several hundred were critically injured, and thousands were displaced in Chennai in the heaviest rainstorm in a century...