Struggling to keep its head above water, Ambattur counts its losses

South Asia's largest small-scale industrial hub lost Rs 2,000 crore during the Chennai flood

The clash of metals and the aroma of welding fire and chemicals typically welcome visitors to the Ambattur region, housing South Asia’s most extensive small-scale industrial estate, on an ordinary day. However, a day after the deluge on Thursday, the atmosphere underwent a drastic change. Instead of the usual sounds of metalwork, the hum of motors flushing out water and an unpleasant odour of mud and dirty water greeted outsiders to this industrial hub.

What makes the region even more critical is that the floods directly and indirectly affected over 300,000 workers. Locating an owner of a unit on a