CHENNAI: As rains continue to batter Tamil Nadu, several areas in Southern suburbs of the city, including Tambaram, Mudichur, Guduvanchery and Chengelpet, have been inundated. The Cheyyur Government Hospital at Chengelpet was flooded post heavy rains on Sunday and outpatient services have been discontinued until further notice.
The authorities rushed more than 30 patients to other government hospitals in Madhurantakam and Chengelpet. “Not just patients, but doctors and nurses were also affected. Though a high capacity pump is being used to pump out water, heavy rains worsened the situation,” said an official.
There was hip-deep water in Vijaya Nagar, West Tambaram where National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) evacuated the residents. “In one house, a patient ran out of oxygen and NDRF personnel helped in replacing the cylinder. The area was also inundated during Nivar cyclone. Numerous requests to improve civic infrastructure went unanswered,” said Prema Latha, a resident.
The situation in Varadharajapuram and Mudichur was no different. “The residents have got used to knee-deep water. Whenever it rains our areas get flooded, forcing us to move out,” said Stanley from Varadharajapuram. He said one of the main reasons for flooding, especially when water is released from the Chembarambakkam lake into Adyar river, is unscientific construction of bund. “The height of the bund is very high in some places and very low in other places,” he said.
To reduce flooding, PWD initiated a `70-crore project, where a bypass channel would be built from Somangalam tributary to Adyar river. This will reduce flooding at Mudichur and Varadharajapuram. Retaining walls would be built along flood-prone areas. A 13-km stretch of the river will be deepened.
Rs 70 cr worth project has been initiated by the PWD to reduce flooding in the southern suburbs of the city. According to the project, a bypass channel would be built from Somangalam tributary to Adyar river. This will reduce flooding at Mudichur and Varadharajapuram. Retaining walls would be built along flood-prone areas. A 13-km stretch of the river will be deepened