There was chaos in Ashok Nagar, West Mambalam, T. Nagar, and Kodambakkam on Monday because of cyclone Vardah. Slow-moving traffic caused jams, motorists were cut off from main roads, and many houses were damaged because of tree falls and timber was strewn across.
“Even MTC buses and autorickshaws refused to take passengers. Cabs are charging huge prices. I don’t know how I’m going to reach Mount Road,” said T. Nagarajan, who was waiting at the Ayodhya Mandapam bus stop for over an hour in the rain. “I can’t even take my vehicle out as all the lanes are flooded. This cyclone is a nightmare,” he said.
The two important roads — Arya Gowda Road and Lake View Road in West Mambalam — that run perpendicular to each other were blocked because of tree fall every few minutes. With Doraisamy subway flooded, motorists could not get into or out of T. Nagar. A significant part of G.N. Chetty Road between the flyover and AGS Cinemas was partly flooded. Reaching the powerhouse was a challenge as the main road connecting Ashok Nagar and Kodambakkam was strewn with timber every 100 metres or so.
“Most houses have been damaged,” said K. Kailasam, a resident of Corporation Colony, Kodambakkam.
Most parts of West Mambalam and Ashok Nagar had power cuts around 11 a.m. after strong winds snapped overhead cables. “We heard we will not have power for the next 48 hours,” said S. Kanagha, a resident of Ashok Nagar “We only hope there is no repeat of last year and the authorities are well prepared to handle the aftermath of this deluge,” said Kailasam.
North Chennai
Several areas in north Chennai were cut off from the city after arterial roads were blocked by uprooted trees and water stagnation due to Cyclone Vardah. The cyclone left a trail of destruction with electricity supply disrupted, houses getting flooded and public transport services fully stopped. With north Chennai comprising economically weaker section of the society, the heavy wind caused severe damage to many houses which had cement sheet roofings.
S. Annamalai, a resident of Pallam Street in Mullai Nagar, complained that this year, it was not about stagnation of rainwater but uprooting of trees and the falling of streetlights in their locality.
The residents of north Chennai who normally depend on bus services, were left stranded after MTC stopped bus services because of heavy wind and road blocks. Traffic on roads, including Tiruvottiyur High Road, Rajaji Salai, Surnarayana Street, Wall Tax Road, Basin Bridge Road, Manali Salai, Ennore High Road, Perambur High Road and Pulianthope Road, was disrupted after several trees fell.
Rajendran, a resident of Raja Kadai near Tiruvottiyur, said it took more than four hours to reach his house from Navalur in south Chennai because of the lack of bus services to north Chennai. Braving the heavy rains and wind, people stood in long queues in front of several automated teller machines (ATMs) on Tiruvottiyur High Road to draw cash.
