Challenging experience in Chennai that transformed me as a reporter

It was in 2015 when I was basking in the glory of our new house in Bengaluru when I received a call to immediately rush to Chennai to cover the floods ravaging the city. In the next two hours, I was seated in the air plane that readily took off.

Eight years in the field of journalism, and 3 years in mainstream news, I was still not equipped enough to cover disasters. I was thrilled with the assignment until I landed to realise the floods had led to massive traffic jam and there was no way to get to my accommodation by either a private vehicle or even a taxi. I felt like Tom Hanks from the movie The Terminal, stranded in the airport for nearly 6 hours, until I decided to walk and wade through the traffic, determined to report.

In an industry that saw mundane coverage with heavy camera equipment and logo mikes, I was one of the first reporters to adopt technology in the absence of a crew for immediate reportage.

With limited internet pack, I was quick to browse through and learn the use of Skype for my lives on television as I narrated the ordeal of 70 lakh citizens of Chennai stranded by flooding waters, least realising I could have been washed away too, if not for an alert cop, who saved me just in time.

Challenges were aplenty. To start with, the police were struggling with rescue operations. 70% of Chennai lived in the slums. As a reporter, with adequate swimming skills, I lent a helping hand in rescuing an entire area of 20 families in T Nagar. And I managed to cover that live despite being drenched in sewage water, as dead insects and uprooted trees and animals floated around.

Reporters, who were still exploring social media, lapped up this opportunity to connect with the youth and other organisations that set forth to help the helpless. Surviving on tea and biscuits, I ensured I was there in remote parts of the city, filing my reports, all the while ensuring every cry for help was indeed answered.

I was recognised for my efforts and awarded the Young Achiever’s Award by the resident association in Chennai. That one yelp in fear when I see a lizard at home makes me wonder how I braved it all during this unforgettable coverage.