Chennai fights back, thanks to its heroes

Chennai is bouncing back to its feet, thanks to its heroes, without whom even the state and the central institutions would have failed.

Given the massive loss of lives (at 269) and property (at Rs 1,500 crore), Chennai could not have taken the blow, unless for its untold heroes. Here is a heartwarming story of camaraderie, love, brotherhood, generosity and courage.

Exemplary not of communal or religious tolerance, but of one that surpasses all human emotions.

The Fishermen: Captive on the Sri Lankan islands till the Indian Government's intervention, these very fishermen forgot their past and moved on on a positive note. Ferrying the stranded and materials to the marooned, the fishermen have set an example of forgiveness and generosity.

[Read: Chennai floods: Development came at a major price]

Transport services: A viral video of a Chennai-Trichy bus, fully loaded with passengers crossing a deep pool of water is nothing less than heroic.

While the audience appreciate the courage with which the driver pulled off the dangerous task, there were others who prayed that the bus did not turn upside down because of the weight it was carrying. On another occasion, taxi service provider Uber declared a 2-day free ride period and urged the customers to share their ride with others so that the cars on the roads can be fully utilised.

[Read: IRCTC to dispatch 1 lakh Rail Neer bottles to Chennai]

Uber care staff also lent a helping hand to the stranded by ferrying food and other necessary materials. "We have deployed trucks today to deliver food and other essentials in Chennai. We go live at 11 am," it was further reported as saying.

A Hero: Actor Siddharth of Rang De Basanti fame proved that a hero lives in us all. Along with volunteers, Siddharth and RJ Balaji from Big FM 92.7 lent a helping hand to the stranded and the homeless.

[Read: Saina Nehwal to donate Rs 2 lakh for Tamil Nadu flood victims]

Speaking of his rescue operation on Twitter, he said,"We have around 2,000 odd food packets as of now and we are segregating them as we get them. One problem is that the food needs to be packed and we can't take it in utensils. We have three cars as of now and we have four on stand-by in case the rain speeds up again."

[Read: Chennai Floods: When actor Siddharth became Rajinikanth, surpassed all to help people]

The residents: The microblogging site Twitter went viral with people offering their help to recharge. Some Tweeted their mobile numbers and asked people to text them if they wanted to recharge their mobiles or wanted internet access. Some also offered to let relatives know about their safety.

Also, there are families who are willing to accomodate maximuym number of people with food and water.

Hotel for Dogs and Pet shelters: Distress calls from across the city came not only for people, but also for pets and strays.

In an initiative to save them all, Hotel for Dogs have transferred as many pets as possible to their Bengaluru facility, with an affirmation that they would be sent back once the situation was normal. Residents of a number of areas in Chennai that are dry and have electricity have also offered help for these animals.

Army, Navy and the NDRF: After the Uttarakhand floods and the Nepal earthquakes, these organizations have proved again that the Indian defence forces are worth all the respect. Braving harsh weather and even harsher working conditions, these groups have relentlessly evacuated people from marooned and inaccessible areas.