After Wednesday night’s rains that continued well into Thursday morning, several areas in the city were inundated. Walking around the slush, careful not to get their clothes dirty on their way to work, residents had a tough time.
The situation was worse on the stretches where roads were not relaid after they were cut to lay water lines and construct stormwater drains. In some areas, though the stormwater drains have been laid, they are not connected to larger drains that carry run-off to nearby canals.
On Gopalakrishna Road in T. Nagar, residents said that the road had not been laid since three years now as it was always dug up for some reason or the other — for a stormwater drain or laying a water main for Usman Road.
“The road has no tar topping and many of our elderly residents are afraid to walk on the uneven surface. After last night’s rains, some people have not ventured outside their homes. Despite several complaints to the Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metrowater, nothing has changed,” said Nagesh, a resident.
Similarly, on Rameshwaram Street in T Nagar, local shopkeepers complained that it had been three months since the road was cut but work had not been completed yet. A nearby shop dug a borewell and did not clear the clay and mud from the roadside. “The mud from both the works have led to the road becoming slushy. The authorities concerned have taken no action,” said a shopkeeper.
K. Ramadoss of Ayanavaram said though work to lay drinking water pipes and check sewage overflow had been completed in several areas in Villivakkam, the roads had not been relaid.
“There is no coordination between the different agencies, which is why our roads are in bad shape,” he said.
At Velachery too, many areas including Balamurugan Garden extension, Sarathy Nagar Main Road, Film Street and Annai Indira Nagar were affected due to stormwater drain work. “Even though the project was completed months ago, roads have not been restored. Movement of traffic has slowed,” said M. Lalitha, a resident of Velachery.
Sources in the Chennai Corporation said steps were being taken to desilt stormwater drains. Zonal offices had been directed to remove the silt along roads, an official said. “Around 50 per cent of the work on stormwater drains has been completed. We are trying to speed up the work, which is why pre-cast pipes are being used wherever possible. We are concentrating on places prone to water logging,” he said.
