A Broken City Looks for Clean Water in Unfolding Indian Tragedy
- Chennai disaster exposes India's poor infrastructure
- Prices of essentials skyrocket due to rail, road disruptions
An man carries gas canisters through floodwaters on a street in Chennai, India, on Dec. 4.
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In a slum near Chennai’s bustling shopping district popularly known as T. Nagar, Rajam Balaraman is picking up the pieces three days after unprecedented rains and flooding forced her out of her asbestos shack she shares with three family members. Her ordeal isn’t over just yet.
She paid $1 for a 20-liter (5.2 gallons) can of water, a luxury for a family of meager resources, after sewage made the municipal tap water unusable. Vegetable and milk prices have more than doubled, caused by disruption in rail and road transport. “There isn’t much stock available in the local store,” said Balaraman, 50.