CHENNAI: Like a swarm of ants, the residents of Athipattu Pudunagar town here have begun leaving their homes on Wednesday. It has rained for two days, enough to get a glimpse of what is in store in the small town, home to over 2,000 families.
Wading through knee-deep water, people of the town who have relatives elsewhere left their homes, with essentials that would last for a week’s stay while some, who had nowhere else to go, braced for the worst.
“For years this is how the town has been — without roads and none of the basic amenities. A night of rain is enough and you will find water and with them, snakes entering houses,” said Valarmathi N, as she packed her belongings to leave for her sister’s house in Korukkpet.
“The snake-catcher of our town catches at least 50 snakes after the rainy season,” she added.
Many residents are those who had to relocate as their earlier homes came in the way of government projects such as the Korukkpet flyover. They chose to move to Athipattu since houses were available for low rent.
Said 60-year-old Tamizhmani D, who has stayed in Athipattu Pudunagar for 15 years, “This morning, my daughter noticed that our house had sunk a bit due to seepage of water. Big cracks are visible on the ceilings.”
Power, she said, came to the town five years after she moved in. However, things were not this bad 15 years ago, she claimed.
According to residents, the factories nearby have built fences and compound walls, altering the natural course of drainage in the area. Oil companies building compound walls, power plants and oil terminals prevent the drainage of water for the area. The residents here said they were used to a certain level of water that perpetually remains long after the monsoons pass off.
“It will take at least three months of sunshine to dry out the water; it never drains naturally. Once flooded, the water stays on months,” said Murugan M, who owns the only shop in the town.
Other than Murugan’s house, which is relatively larger than all others in the area, residents run to the Athipattu Pudunagar railway station to spend their nights.
“I spent three nights in the railway station with my children during the cyclone earlier this year,” said Naomi, who with her husband Isaac, is on her way to her mother’s house in Tondiarpet, their two children in tow, carrying their school bags above their heads. Having burnt their fingers already in 2015, the residents are now a cautious lot, packing up their most prized possessions before the water gets to them first.
Said Saravanan who had just returned after purchasing bamboo shoots for `450, “I’m going to build a shelf as high as possible in my house to accommodate our TV set.” While Saravanan’s television may be saved, many in the area are unsure if their huts and homes will withstand the onslaught of the monsoon. “We had just pooled in all our savings to rebuild the house after the rains in 2015. If we lose it again, we have no money left to fix it,” said Gomathi (name changed), a resident.
