Friday, October 25

We have had torrential rain non-stop for almost twenty four hours. When I last spoke with her Simi mentioned a small cyclone off the coast of Kerala that would wreak havoc with the weather in the Trivandrum area. Red alert, she said.

I photograph a scooter wading through the raging river that we used to think of as the road. The flow of water moves extremely fast and powerfully. We watched a fallen tree moving downhill at a running pace an hour ago. Moreover, potholes remain hidden under the water’s surface waiting to catch riders unaware.

Earlier a police jeep reversed and turned around after its attempt to drive through the river resulted in a front wheel/pothole incident. The most junior officer had to get out in the downpour, into water over his ankles, to check for damage. He did not look happy.