In the added areas, where houses were hopelessly inundated on Monday, residents blamed unplanned road development by the Chennai Corporation for their predicament.
“We did not face this earlier. Stormwater is entering our houses. Much of the recent road development is against the natural slope. We do not find any Corporation official factoring in the level of the road while undertaking any road work,” said S.Thirunavukarasu, a resident of Sadasivam Nagar Sixth Main Road, Madipakkam.
Residents of Madipakkam, Pallikaranai, Medavakkam, Perumbakkam and Velachery pointed out that road junctions lacked culverts that could facilitate flow of stormwater. Of the 13 culverts along the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road, three have been converted into bridges.
In many areas of south Chennai, flow of water through berm was affected due to encroachments, including water tanks by civic agencies or ramps of houses.
For instance, St.Thomas Mount-Medavakkam Road developed on a ridge does not have adequate culverts to drain water from the western side to eastern side, obstructing flow of water into Puzhuthivakkam Sitteri. As inlets to the lake had been plugged, most of the water gets drained to the sea through Pallikaranai Marsh, Okkium Madu, Buckingham Canal and the Muttukadu creek.
Traffic in stretches such as Santhome High Road and Velachery Main Road moved at a snail’s pace. The Corporation used pumpsets and super sucker machines to clear the water.
“Some residents reported water stagnation due to higher road level. There, pumpsets were used to bale out water,” said P. Rajaram, councillor of ward 183 in Kottivakkam.
Municipal Administration Minister S.P.Velumani, Mayor Saidai Duraisamy, Deputy Mayor P.Benjamin and Corporation Commissioner Vikram Kapur inspected localities that had water stagnation.
North Chennai
People who owned pushcarts made the most of it when vehicles were stranded at the Ganesapuram subway in Vysarpadi. They charged as much as Rs. 100 just to carry the vehicle submerged in knee-deep water in the subway. An MTC bus got stalled in the subway and passengers were forced to wade through knee-deep water. P. Shanti, who works as a domestic help in Periamet, said, “. It was hell walking through this dirty water.”
Several houses in Vysarpadi, Tiruvottiyur and Tondiarpet were flooded and people were moving to the houses of their acquaintances elsewhere. Prem Kumar, a resident of Kaladipet, said his family had shifted to his relatives’ house. “Not a single official has inspected our area. Most things have got spoilt; I have to spend at least Rs. 10,000 to set things right at my house after the water drains,” he added.
Amudha Ravi, who was on her way to meet officials for help in draining water from her house in Nandi Odai, Tiruvottiyur, was stranded on T.H. Road. “We are desperately trying to get someone to help us,” she added.
Areas like Mullai Nagar, M.K.B. Nagar, Kesavan Street, Ramaswamy Street, Stephenson street, various lanes in Tondiarpet and Royapuram had severe water logging. In Walltax Road, officials tried to use earthmovers to push water into the drain before the super sucker machine was employed to remove water from the roads.
