COIMBATORE: Heavy rain lashed Coimbatore on Sunday flooding several roads and subways. Water entered several houses in the city.
Several localities, including Kavundampalayam, RS Puram, Ram Nagar, Nanjundapuram, Ramanathapuram, Sungam, Edayarpalayam, Sukrawarpet, Gandhipuram, Raja Street, and Vadavalli were flooded. The downpour disrupted life and caused inconvenience to people.
A private bus stopped mid-way while trying to pass through an inundated railway underpass near Sivananda Colony. The passengers and bus crew quickly deboarded the bus and moved to safety.
The flooding was aggravated by ongoing underground drainage works and clogged stormwater drains. Motorists had a tough time navigating through submerged roads, leading to severe traffic snarls in key parts of the city. Several two-wheelers and four-wheelers broke down mid-route, and people had to wade through knee-deep water.
People expressed frustration over the civic issues, pointing to delays in the completion of drainage projects and lack of maintenance of stormwater drains. “We are facing this issue every time it rains heavily. The authorities need to ensure better drainage management,” said Meena Ramakrishnan, a resident of Kavundampalayam.
Civic authorities initiated efforts to clear waterlogged areas and subways, deploying motor pumps to drain out water. However, the continuous rain slowed the process. The meteorological department has issued a warning for more rainfall in the coming days, advising residents to remain cautious.
The civic body has assured citizens that workers are on the ground to resolve drainage blockages and expedite the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects to prevent further inconvenience.
District collector Kranthi Kumar Pati, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran along with officials inspected the roads damaged due to UGD works in Kavundampalayam and other areas on Sunday. They then went on to inspect the rainwater draining works from the subways and clogged stormwater drains across the city.
With the Selva Chinthamani tank overflowing after heavy rain, the sluices were raised to release surplus water into Periyakulam. CCMC officials are engaged in draining the stagnant water across the city by clearing debris and other encroachments on the stormwater drains and water pathways.
Given the heavy rain, the revenue department and CCMC have been instructed by the collector Pati to shift the people living in damaged and inundated houses to safer places to provide them with food, water and basic facilities.