‘No way out’: Waterlogged for 10 days now after rains
CHENNAI: Residents of Ashok Nagar 18th Avenue have been marooned for about 10 days, ever since cyclone Nivar brought rains to the city late in November. Corporation officials have been pumping out water wherever possible, but with continuous rains, runoff from neighbouring streets continues to collect on 18th Avenue, leaving the locality in two-foot-deep water.
“We are out of provisions and medicines. There is no way to go out. Corporation officials have been trying to pump out water whenever we complain, but there is little relief. Nobody, including food delivery executives or household helps, are able to come,” said 69-year-old Gomathi Shankar, a resident of 18th Avenue.
While a portion of the stretch has stormwater drains, the middle portion, which is low-lying, has been left out, say residents. The area has apartments housing about 1,000 families. Several commuters use 18th Avenue to avoid the traffic signals on 100-feet road. Making matters worse, sewage gets mixed with stagnant rainwater, making the area disease-prone. “When cyclone Nivar hit, corporation staff pumped out water at midnight and fill up to three trucks. Yet, water accumulates every time it rains,” said Gomathi Shankar.
Corporation officials said various factors lead to repeated waterlogging in the area despite their best efforts to drain out the water. When the Metro Rail project was completed, there was a change in the height of the road that were relaid, resulting in more run off water accumulating in streets such as 18th and 19th Avenues, an official said. Besides, ongoing repair work on the Highways — to maintain the stormwater drain that connects water from these areas to the Saidapet canal — has blocked the path.
“Earlier, water from 18th and 19th Avenues would lead to the stormwater drain which is under repair, and then drain into the Saidapet canal. Now, the only path for this water to reach the canal is via 11th Avenue and then near Kasi theatre. We are now pumping out water again after we did it yesterday (Sunday) till there was only about 5 cm left,” he said.