CHENNAI: Heavy overnight rains left low-lying areas in the city waterlogged. Several trees along the coast were uprooted by heavy winds which accompanied the rains. Water was as deep as one foot on interior roads in Korratur, Manali and Chepauk, on GN Chetty Road, and the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road stretch near Padi and Thirumangalam.
Water-logging in areas adjacent to Anna Nagar and Kodambakkam caused inconvenience to office-goers and students as Corporation had begun clearing works late. Parts of Millers Road, Purasawalkam High Road, Habibullah Road and areas surrounding Thirumalai Pillai Road were also affected.
Motor pumps were used to clear water from the heavily inundated Ganesh Street, Chaudhary Nagar and Rayala Nagar in the Valasaravakkam zone on Thursday morning.
The canal passing through North Avenue in Korattur was blocked on both sides; at one end to keep water from Ambattur flowing while work was progressing and at the other end because PWD was carrying out desilting work adjacent to the TVS Lucas compound wall, residents said.
“The canal is already half-full. They had been pumping out water from 9 in the morning till almost 5 in the evening,” a resident said, adding that the streets behind the Perumal Temple were affected even during the rain earlier this month. In addition, fallen trees caused traffic congestion along arterial roads in Adyar, Besant Nagar and Velachery.
“Water-logging was less this year compared to the monsoon showers last year,” said a senior official from the Greater Chennai Corporation. As a part of the pre-monsoon preparedness, the Corporation begun desilting 1,880-km length of stormwater drains using super-sucker machines as early as June. The second phase of desilting began in the first week of August.
Designs of the drains were also modified recently. The diameter of stormwater openings was increased from 100 mm to 160 m along with a ‘silt collection chamber’ and 50-m gratings. Water hyacinth along 30 water lines was cleared regularly by the Corporation and 160 pumpsets were kept in place across the city where excess water stagnation was reported last year.
Fallen trees blocked traffic along arterial roads in Alandur as well. It almost took an hour for Corporation authorities to cut down a broken tree.