The capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, and other areas in the state have flooded after heavy rainfalls.
The downpour is set to continue for the next 4 days, which is likely to worsen the current situation.
People living on banks of the Adyar river in Chennai were evacuated, according to local officials.
Many Chennai residents used Twitter to provide help and advice to locals and brought awareness of the hardship faced. Many are tweeting their phone numbers and offering shelters in their own homes to those in need, while several others complained about the lack of coverage in national media.
Public transportation has been cut off and people are now relying on boats to travel. Chennai airport has also suspended operations until further notice.
The death toll has now reached 188 and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa instructed ministers to inspect the affected regions.
The Chief Minister also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting financial assistance to support communities and repair the damage caused by the heavy rainfall.