Publishers participating in the Chennai Book Fair are grappling with significant losses as their books were damaged by the recent heavy rain in the city. The YMCA campus, where the fair is held, experienced sludge formation and water seepage, causing difficulties for visitors and damaging books at some stalls.
This prompted the fair to take a break for repairs, marking an unusual interruption since its inception on January 3. Publishers expressed concerns about losses exceeding ₹1 lakh and questioned why preventive measures weren’t taken earlier. Despite challenges, the fair is set to resume with updated arrangements to address the damage.